Massachusetts Residents Leaving State At High Rate, Study Finds

MASSACHUSETTS — A study by a moving company found that more residents are leaving Massachusetts than almost any other state. The Bay State ranked 5th among outbound states, according to the United Van Lines report.

In moves handled by the company in the past year, 57.9 percent were for those moving out of Massachusetts compared to 42.1 percent for those moving in.

The leading reasons for people to move out of Massachusetts were job and family, which were also the leading reasons for people moving to the state.

But there's a big discrepancy for those retiring: 18 percent of those moving out of Massachusetts were due to retirement, compared to only 7 percent of those moving in.

United Van Lines notes that U.S. movers "are seeking affordable living without sacrificing quality of life."

The Southeast region continues to be popular with states like South Carolina, North Carolina, and Alabama making the list of most popular states for movers.

The Northeast lost residents again this year, with New Jersey topping the outbound states list for the 7th year in a row.

Here's the list of leading outbound states:

1. New Jersey
2. Illinois
3. New York
4. California
5. Massachusetts
6. North Dakota
7. Wyoming
8. Mississippi
9. Nebraska

And those states attracting the most new residents:

1. West Virginia
2. Delaware
3. South Carolina
4. District of Columbia
5. North Carolina
6. Alabama
7. Rhode Island
8. Oregon
9. Arkansas
10. Arizona

Check out the full study by clicking here.