Voting With Their Feet: People Leaving Illinois by Tens of Thousands

Lots of people complain. But when they’re really fed up, they “vote with their feet.” And by that metric, Illinois is one of the most unpopular states in the nation.

The latest Census Bureau data show that the Land of Lincoln is hemorrhaging people at an astonishing rate—and public policy there is likely to blame.

From July 2021 to July 2022, more than 142,000 people moved out of state than moved in. Only New York state experienced a faster rate of population decline.