Anthony and Lisa Nicholas are among approximately 174,000 Illinois residents who have left the state since 2020.
"If it wasn't as bad—the political landscape, taxes—all these factors—I would have stayed in Illinois," Anthony says.
However, new business opportunities, warmer weather, and a lower cost of living have led this Chicago couple to relocate to northwest Arkansas.
Anthony notes, "I would say it's a fifth of the cost of living—it's probably a fifth of the cost of many things."
Their new three-bedroom home, purchased for less than $360,000, exemplifies this cost difference.
"In Chicago, this would probably be anywhere between $500,000 and $600,000 depending on your location," Nicholas adds.
According to recent figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau, high housing costs are a major reason why New York, California, and Illinois are the top three states losing residents. Illinois, often referred to as the "Land of Lincoln," has seen its population decline for 10 consecutive years, losing residents in 87 of its 102 counties.
Chris Edwards, an economist at the Cato Institute, comments, "The Census Bureau actually surveys movers every year and asks them why they're moving, but they don't ask the tax question. But there's no doubt that cost has a big impact. People say that the cost of housing and job opportunities are big drivers of the moves."
Edwards points out a common factor among states like California, New York, and Illinois: "We have very detailed data on interstate migration. Both the IRS and the Census Bureau track taxpayers from year to year, so we know exactly how many people are leaving places like California, New York, and Illinois every year. There's no doubt that some of the states that are politically left, like California, Illinois, and New York, see large numbers of people moving to other states every year."
In response, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker disputes the Census figures, claiming they are inaccurate. As a result, he has been labeled a "census denier" for suggesting that the homeless, recent migrants, and hard-to-reach individuals were not counted.
Alderman Raymond Lopez of the Chicago City Council counters, "Two plus two will always equal four no matter how you want to spin it. And three minus two is one. Numbers don't lie, and if people are leaving, no matter what you do to bring the numbers up, it still shows that there is something happening in our state that is still pushing people away. They are voting with their feet."
Edwards adds, "I think the message that some of the politicians in places like Illinois don't get is that they'll say people are moving out of our state because it's cold and northerly. To me, the message is right, and there is nothing you can do about it. But what the politicians can do something about is the efficiency and leanness of their government and they can do something about tax levels."
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Anthony Nicholas says his father-in-law is now considering following their example due to burdensome property taxes.
"Taxes are almost at $40,000 annually (for his home). That's huge. When you look at Arkansas, I know our taxes are between $3,500 and $5,000," he said.
In addition to high property taxes, Nicholas cites brutal traffic as another reason for leaving. "I remember going from the North Side of the city, where I lived in the Wrigleyville area, down to downtown every single day for about two years. It was 15 miles, maybe less, but it took me two hours—an hour to the city and an hour back."
The high cost of gas, often up to 50 cents more per gallon in Illinois compared to its neighbor to the northwest, Wisconsin, further compounds the issue.
Beyond financial and logistical concerns, Nicholas also cites the political and spiritual environment in Chicago as unwelcoming. "Chicago has a lot of dark areas where they are politically focused and they drive the LGBTQ communities. They drive into the dark stuff and they've pushed down the faith-based Christian focus—it's very suppressed," he said.
Despite their departure, Nicholas says his hometown of Chicago is still close to his heart. But like the scores of people who've left Illinois, it's become "a great place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there."
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