Migration Study Shows Illinois Residents Bolt State For Warm Climates
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Most people who live in Illinois were born here, but a New York Times analysis shows that the lure of warmer climates is more popular among residents here than in other states.
In other words: More people here bolt the state because of either the brutal weather or a shot for a better economic opportunity.
The Times took a look at immigration within the United States and it shows that Illinoisans are among the highest percentages of people who move to other states.
Even closer to home, too.
In Indiana, the most common transplant comes from the Land Of Lincoln. In 2012, about 5 percent of non-native Hoosiers had moved across the border.
The same is true for Wisconsin, where 7 percent of its residents were born in Illinois.
However, even more pull up their roots and head west and south.
In California, people born in Illinois ranked No. 1 in the 1930s and 40s. Today, migrants from here rank No. 3.
In Arizona, Illinois ranked No. 1 in the 1970s, while it has dropped to second place today behind transplants from neighboring California.
In Florida, people from New York are at the top, while folks from Illinois rank No. 4.
In 2012, about 67 percent of Illinois residents were born here, which is a typical percentage for most states in the country.
The chart for Illinois also shows the migration of blacks from the Deep South to the North. By 1960, about 9 percent of Illinois residents were born in the South; Mississippi was the No. 1 source of migrants, the Times reported.