Illinois Residents Flee Obama's Home State

Illinois Review reports:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from the day George Ryan took office as governor in January 1999 through the last year of the administration of Rod Blagojevich in 2008, a net number of 637, 979 former Illinois residents moved out of the state and have not returned or been replaced by others moving in.

Illinois now ranks 48 of the 50 states in net migration. California and New York lost more people, more than 1.4 and 1.7 million respectively. The top ten states gaining population were all either warm climate or low-tax states (or both) such as Florida, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington , and Colorado.

According to the Third Edition of Rich States, Poor States published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) this week, Illinois now ranks 47 of 50 states in future economic outlook. Based on the same forward-looking measures, Illinois was ranked at 44 in 2009 and 43 in 2008 so the trend is in the wrong direction. The report also ranks Illinois as number 10 in top marginal personal income tax rate; number 26 in top marginal corporate income tax; number 39 in property tax burden; number 11 in sales tax burden; number 7 in the number of public employees (502) per 10,000 people; and, drum roll please, number 1 of the 50 states in estate and inheritance taxes levied.

Great moments in Blue America.