United Van Lines (UVL) and U-Haul came out with their 2023 annual surveys, and once again NJ ranks as one of the states with the most people leaving.  A large number of the leavers are older, higher-income retirees, so wealth also continues to leave NJ for lower-tax, lower cost-of-living states — mainly in the south.

In UVL’s 47th Annual National Moving Study, NJ was once again dead last when it came the percentage of movers leaving the state– for the 6th year in a row.  Overall, 65% of movers left NJ versus 35% coming in.  Once again, the main reason given for leaving the state was retirement (27% of leavers), which means that the older and wealthier cohorts are leaving NJ.

This is borne out in the UVL data.  Two-thirds of NJ leavers were 55 or older, and three-quarters had incomes over $100,000.  All told, there were almost twice as many $100,000-earners leaving NJ than coming in.

UVL describes the trend: “Americans are moving to more affordable, lower-density areas across the country, with many heading to Southern states.”

Of course, not everyone chooses to use — or can afford — a moving company like UVL. Many Americans choose to DIY with companies like U-Haul.  But U-Haul’s 2023 study tells a similar story for NJ:  NJ had the 4th-worst net loss of people.  In 2022, NJ was 6th-worst.

U-Hauls’ president explains the national trend: “Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced.”  Indeed, the top five states were TX, FL, NC, SC and TN.  The bottom five were CA, MA, IL, NJ and MI.

Both UVL and U-Haul reveal the same continuing trend: Americans and New Jerseyans are leaving “blue” states with big governments, powerful public-sector unions, higher taxes, and higher costs of living.  They are moving to “red” states with smaller governments, less powerful public-sector unions, lower taxes, and lower costs of living.  

When confronted with unchangeable, unaffordable, special-interest-dominated status quos, American and New Jerseyans are voting with their feet.