How America Moves

What changed in the 2015–2016 migration data

Biggest movers in the latest IRS Statistics of Income release.

In the 2015 to 2016 filing years, Florida recorded the largest net gain of income (AGI) among states at +$17.4B nominal, and New York the largest net loss at -$8.8B. The tables below rank the biggest state and county movers by net income and net people, with the prior year alongside for context.

States by net income (AGI)

Biggest gains

  1. 1Florida+$17.4Bwas +$11.6B
  2. 2Texas+$2.3Bwas +$3.6B
  3. 3South Carolina+$2.3Bwas +$1.1B
  4. 4Washington+$2.2Bwas +$1.1B
  5. 5North Carolina+$2.2Bwas +$1.1B
  6. 6Arizona+$2Bwas +$1.2B
  7. 7Colorado+$1.8Bwas +$889.1M
  8. 8Oregon+$1.5Bwas +$454.8M
  9. 9Tennessee+$1.3Bwas +$580.3M
  10. 10Nevada+$931.5Mwas +$1.4B

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York-$8.8Bwas -$4.5B
  2. 2Illinois-$4.8Bwas -$3.5B
  3. 3New Jersey-$3.5Bwas -$2.5B
  4. 4Pennsylvania-$2.7Bwas -$1B
  5. 5Connecticut-$2.7Bwas -$1.3B
  6. 6California-$2.2Bwas -$2.1B
  7. 7Ohio-$1.8Bwas -$1.3B
  8. 8Maryland-$1.6Bwas -$985.7M
  9. 9Virginia-$1.6Bwas -$509.5M
  10. 10Massachusetts-$1.4Bwas -$848.3M
Values are net for the 2015 to 2016 filing years.

States by net people

Biggest gains

  1. 1Florida+190,944was +116,033
  2. 2Texas+55,114was +64,309
  3. 3Washington+53,336was +28,619
  4. 4North Carolina+48,312was +20,790
  5. 5Arizona+46,941was +17,142
  6. 6South Carolina+40,298was +21,170
  7. 7Georgia+38,636was +19,873
  8. 8Oregon+35,777was +14,647
  9. 9Colorado+34,631was +28,492
  10. 10Nevada+26,793was +19,665

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York-167,601was -94,169
  2. 2California-92,872was -44,162
  3. 3Illinois-87,837was -50,994
  4. 4New Jersey-47,395was -34,590
  5. 5Pennsylvania-33,260was -17,609
  6. 6Massachusetts-27,889was -13,556
  7. 7Maryland-20,995was -13,041
  8. 8Connecticut-20,179was -12,848
  9. 9Ohio-19,757was -14,227
  10. 10Virginia-17,474was +427
Values are net for the 2015 to 2016 filing years.

Counties by net income (AGI)

Biggest gains

  1. 1Palm Beach County, FL+$3.1Bwas +$2.5B
  2. 2Miami-Dade County, FL+$1.9Bwas +$670.7M
  3. 3Collier County, FL+$1.7Bwas +$1.7B
  4. 4San Francisco County, CA+$1.5Bwas -$220.8M
  5. 5Lee County, FL+$1.3Bwas +$975.9M
  6. 6Maricopa County, AZ+$1.3Bwas +$965.4M
  7. 7Sarasota County, FL+$1Bwas +$778.9M
  8. 8Pinellas County, FL+$911.4Mwas -$83M
  9. 9Denton County, TX+$802.2Mwas +$463.2M
  10. 10Manatee County, FL+$752.6Mwas +$293.6M

Biggest losses

  1. 1Santa Clara County, CA-$3.1Bwas -$52.4M
  2. 2Cook County, IL-$3Bwas -$1.9B
  3. 3New York County, NY-$2.7Bwas -$2B
  4. 4Los Angeles County, CA-$2.1Bwas -$1.8B
  5. 5Fairfield County, CT-$1.6Bwas -$704.3M
  6. 6Harris County, TX-$1.2Bwas -$258M
  7. 7Travis County, TX-$1.2Bwas +$298.9M
  8. 8Queens County, NY-$1.1Bwas -$651.9M
  9. 9Allegheny County, PA-$1Bwas -$285M
  10. 10Essex County, NJ-$1Bwas -$189.8M
Values are net for the 2015 to 2016 filing years.

Counties by net people

Biggest gains

  1. 1Maricopa County, AZ+30,620was +15,369
  2. 2Clark County, NV+21,323was +17,003
  3. 3Riverside County, CA+19,180was +9,372
  4. 4Fort Bend County, TX+15,934was +10,277
  5. 5Denton County, TX+15,346was +9,223
  6. 6Lee County, FL+15,148was +11,618
  7. 7Collin County, TX+14,850was +7,997
  8. 8Williamson County, TX+14,084was +6,797
  9. 9Montgomery County, TX+13,279was +7,499
  10. 10Palm Beach County, FL+13,141was +9,897

Biggest losses

  1. 1Los Angeles County, CA-67,104was -41,700
  2. 2Cook County, IL-58,402was -32,805
  3. 3Travis County, TX-57,696was -32,412
  4. 4Kings County, NY-39,404was -23,886
  5. 5New York County, NY-33,510was -15,173
  6. 6Queens County, NY-30,065was -19,101
  7. 7Santa Clara County, CA-23,524was -10,720
  8. 8Miami-Dade County, FL-23,054was -14,262
  9. 9Bronx County, NY-15,294was -7,464
  10. 10Philadelphia County, PA-13,092was -7,229
Values are net for the 2015 to 2016 filing years.

Net = arrivals minus departures for the 2015–2016filing years. "Prior year" is the same net for 2014–2015 where the IRS published it. Figures cover federal income tax filers only; AGI is nominal (not inflation adjusted) and is not a measure of economic gain or loss. Source: IRS Statistics of Income migration data (public domain). Methodology. All releases.