How America Moves

What changed in the 2016–2017 migration data

Biggest movers in the latest IRS Statistics of Income release.

In the 2016 to 2017 filing years, Florida recorded the largest net gain of income (AGI) among states at +$15.5B nominal, and New York the largest net loss at -$11.2B. 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+$15.5Bwas +$17.4B
  2. 2North Carolina+$3.8Bwas +$2.2B
  3. 3Arizona+$3.8Bwas +$2B
  4. 4South Carolina+$3.4Bwas +$2.3B
  5. 5Texas+$3.1Bwas +$2.3B
  6. 6Washington+$2.8Bwas +$2.2B
  7. 7Colorado+$2.4Bwas +$1.8B
  8. 8Nevada+$1.8Bwas +$931.5M
  9. 9Tennessee+$1.8Bwas +$1.3B
  10. 10Oregon+$1.5Bwas +$1.5B

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York-$11.2Bwas -$8.8B
  2. 2California-$6.9Bwas -$2.2B
  3. 3Illinois-$6.8Bwas -$4.8B
  4. 4New Jersey-$2.8Bwas -$3.5B
  5. 5Connecticut-$2.1Bwas -$2.7B
  6. 6Maryland-$2Bwas -$1.6B
  7. 7Virginia-$1.9Bwas -$1.6B
  8. 8Massachusetts-$1.9Bwas -$1.4B
  9. 9Ohio-$1.6Bwas -$1.8B
  10. 10Pennsylvania-$1.6Bwas -$2.7B
Values are net for the 2016 to 2017 filing years.

States by net people

Biggest gains

  1. 1Florida+192,338was +190,944
  2. 2Texas+98,398was +55,114
  3. 3Arizona+75,428was +46,941
  4. 4North Carolina+75,332was +48,312
  5. 5South Carolina+64,791was +40,298
  6. 6Washington+58,381was +53,336
  7. 7Georgia+46,828was +38,636
  8. 8Tennessee+45,007was +26,158
  9. 9Nevada+42,205was +26,793
  10. 10Oregon+34,427was +35,777

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York-226,764was -167,601
  2. 2California-179,388was -92,872
  3. 3Illinois-133,769was -87,837
  4. 4New Jersey-47,031was -47,395
  5. 5Massachusetts-36,001was -27,889
  6. 6Louisiana-28,593was -10,738
  7. 7Maryland-26,058was -20,995
  8. 8Virginia-22,596was -17,474
  9. 9Hawaii-20,447was -9,017
  10. 10Pennsylvania-19,979was -33,260
Values are net for the 2016 to 2017 filing years.

Counties by net income (AGI)

Biggest gains

  1. 1Maricopa County, AZ+$2.3Bwas +$1.3B
  2. 2Palm Beach County, FL+$2Bwas +$3.1B
  3. 3Collier County, FL+$1.7Bwas +$1.7B
  4. 4Clark County, NV+$1.2Bwas +$586.7M
  5. 5Lee County, FL+$1.1Bwas +$1.3B
  6. 6Denton County, TX+$1Bwas +$802.2M
  7. 7Sarasota County, FL+$966.4Mwas +$1B
  8. 8Manatee County, FL+$881.8Mwas +$752.6M
  9. 9Pinellas County, FL+$859.4Mwas +$911.4M
  10. 10Montgomery County, TX+$734.5Mwas +$751.6M

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York County, NY-$4.3Bwas -$2.7B
  2. 2Cook County, IL-$3.3Bwas -$3B
  3. 3Los Angeles County, CA-$3.3Bwas -$2.1B
  4. 4Harris County, TX-$2.9Bwas -$1.2B
  5. 5San Francisco County, CA-$2.4Bwas +$1.5B
  6. 6Santa Clara County, CA-$2Bwas -$3.1B
  7. 7Queens County, NY-$1.7Bwas -$1.1B
  8. 8Kings County, NY-$1.4Bwas -$961.7M
  9. 9Middlesex County, MA-$1.3Bwas -$914.3M
  10. 10Fairfax County, VA-$1.2Bwas -$991.4M
Values are net for the 2016 to 2017 filing years.

Counties by net people

Biggest gains

  1. 1Maricopa County, AZ+42,216was +30,620
  2. 2Clark County, NV+31,297was +21,323
  3. 3Riverside County, CA+29,196was +19,180
  4. 4Collin County, TX+24,933was +14,850
  5. 5Denton County, TX+19,446was +15,346
  6. 6Williamson County, TX+19,191was +14,084
  7. 7Pasco County, FL+18,510was +12,623
  8. 8Polk County, FL+18,011was +11,103
  9. 9Montgomery County, TX+16,761was +13,279
  10. 10Fort Bend County, TX+16,644was +15,934

Biggest losses

  1. 1Los Angeles County, CA-111,273was -67,104
  2. 2Cook County, IL-88,517was -58,402
  3. 3Kings County, NY-58,742was -39,404
  4. 4Harris County, TX-56,859was -12,763
  5. 5Miami-Dade County, FL-47,431was -23,054
  6. 6Queens County, NY-47,189was -30,065
  7. 7New York County, NY-47,037was -33,510
  8. 8Santa Clara County, CA-37,382was -23,524
  9. 9Bronx County, NY-27,809was -15,294
  10. 10San Diego County, CA-26,971was -10,678
Values are net for the 2016 to 2017 filing years.

Net = arrivals minus departures for the 2016–2017filing years. "Prior year" is the same net for 2015–2016 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.