STATEWIDE — You’ve probably heard people talk about packing their bags and leaving their home state. Indiana is no different.
In 2022, Indiana had one of the largest population losses in the United States, according to a study conducted by HireAHelper, a website that connects people with moving opportunities.
In the company’s fifth annual United States migration report, Indiana ranked #10 with a -12.8% net gain, meaning more people moved out than moved in.
“And what we do to figure that net loss for Indiana is we take the number of people moving into the state, and then we compare that to the number of people moving out of the state,” says Spokesperson Miranda Marquit.
Marquit says people typically move for a variety of reasons, including warmer weather, job opportunities, and lower/no state income tax. However, those motives don’t line up with the state in which most Hoosiers moved: Illinois. Marquit says Illinois doesn’t offer those typical motives, especially to someone from Indiana.
According to HireAHelper’s 4th annual report, Indiana didn’t even crack the top ten, but Indianapolis did. Marquit says it’s hard to narrow down a motive for someone choosing to move, but she says this is a reflection of what’s happening across the entire country, especially in the Midwest and southern states.
“Folks are taking a step back, looking at where they might want to live, what values they might want to espouse, what kind of lifestyle they want,” Marquit continues, “the number of people who moved overall, across the country, grew year over year. So, I think we are seeing a population shuffle.”
