Massachusetts keeps losing residents to other states, Census finds

"Experts warn the imbalance poses serious risks to the state's future workforce and economic strength. "When Massachusetts loses residents, it loses competitiveness," Christopher Anderson, co-organizer at the business advocacy group Mass Opportunity Alliance, said in a statement. He continued, "Businesses follow talent, and persistent out-migration makes it harder to attract investment and grow jobs. This new data confirms what residents and employers alike are experiencing: high costs and an uncompetitive tax structure are pushing people out of the state.""

"So where did everyone go? Florida drew the most Massachusetts residents - more than 21,000 - followed by just over 20,000 to New Hampshire, nearly 18,000 to New York, about 16,000 to California, and around 11,500 each to Connecticut and Rhode Island. In the 12-month span ending on July 1, 2025, Massachusetts gained over 152,000 residents from other states while losing about 182,000. The commonwealth ranked fifth nationally for out-migration, behind only New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and California. In a 2024 report by Mark Williams, a finance professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business, the top factors behind domestic out-migration were taxes, housing costs, and health care expenses, with retirees making up the largest share of those leavi ng."

Massachusetts recorded a net domestic population loss of more than 30,000 residents in the 12 months ending July 1, 2025, gaining about 152,000 from other states while losing roughly 182,000. Major destination states included Florida, New Hampshire, New York, California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The commonwealth ranked fifth nationally for out-migration. International immigration accounted for about one-third of incoming residents and was the only source of population growth, bringing total population to 7.15 million — the slowest increase since 2021. Taxes, housing costs, and health care burdens, with retirees prominent among leavers, were cited as leading causes.

Read at Boston.com