New York and New Jersey lead again as the most abandoned states in 2024

New Yorkers are leaving the Empire State in droves, with the latest data revealing it is now the third most abandoned state in the country.

The annual United Van Lines National Movers Study shows that 59% of New York movers headed for greener – or sunnier – pastures in 2024, continuing a five-year trend.

Last year, with 2023 data in mind, it ranked fourth highest for residents fleeing the state. And it continues a trend that became more prominent during the COVID lockdown years, when New Yorkers made a mass exodus to Florida, particularly in search of fewer restrictions and greater opportunities to get their children into school.

Meanwhile, New Jersey ranked as the top exiting state for 2024 for the seventh year in a row. According to the study, the Garden State saw out-migration of 67%.

Florida, as it has for some time, remains a major escape route, luring nearly one in five ex-New Yorkers. Reasons for hitting the streets include family ties, which topped the list (25.6%), followed by dreams of retirement (20.8%) and better job opportunities (15.7%).

And 20% of those moving from New Jersey went to Florida, with the main motivation being retirement and wanting to be closer to family as well.

Even Nassau-Suffolk and Poughkeepsie — both in New York — landed in the top 25 for metro areas people can’t wait to leave.

Still, New York hasn’t lost all of its charm — 41% of movers came to the state this year, mostly for family or career changes.

And of the total income earners, 52.8% of them earn more than $150,000 a year.

Across the country, Americans are abandoning high-cost cities for cheaper, less crowded places.

Sun Belt states like South Carolina and Alabama are seeing a surge in popularity as people pursue affordability and a fresh start.

“Recent migration data from United Van Lines continues to reveal the ongoing impacts of the global pandemic,” Michael A. Stoll, a professor of public policy at UCLA, noted in the study. “As housing costs continue to rise, Americans are moving to lower-density, more affordable regions.”