Top 5 States People Are Fleeing
No. 1: New York
Projected Loss: 49,000 people
Population: 19.7 million
Percentage Change: -0.25%
The Big Apple may lose more people than it gains in 2010 because of the depressed job market, high cost of living and an ongoing trend of retirees and job-seekers heading to the South and Southwest.
No. 2: Illinois
Projected Loss: 27,000 people
Population: 13 million
Percentage Change: -0.21%
Economist Nathaniel Karp says Illinois' tax structure and loss of manufacturing jobs may be pushing people out of the state this year.
No. 3: Ohio
Projected Loss: 8,900 people
Population: 11.6 million
Percentage Change: -0.08%
Over the last five years Ohio has lost an average of about 30,000 people per year. This year its losses are projected to slow, but remain significant enough to put the state at No. 3.
No. 4: Nebraska
Projected Loss: 5,900 people
Population: 1.8 million
Percentage Change: -0.33%
Nebraska has seen steady losses since 2001. The projected number of people leaving the state this year is particularly high when considering its small population.
No. 5: Kansas
Projected Loss: 4,200 people
Population: 2.9 million
Percentage Change: -0.14%
The Census Bureau reports modest gains for Kansas since 2007. The losses expected this year are similar to those seen in the earlier part of the decade, when the state lost an average of 4,500 per year.