How America Moves

What changed in the 2017–2018 migration data

Biggest movers in the latest IRS Statistics of Income release.

In the 2017 to 2018 filing years, Florida recorded the largest net gain of income (AGI) among states at +$16.2B nominal, and New York the largest net loss at -$9.6B. 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+$16.2Bwas +$15.5B
  2. 2Arizona+$3.5Bwas +$3.8B
  3. 3Texas+$3.4Bwas +$3.1B
  4. 4North Carolina+$3Bwas +$3.8B
  5. 5South Carolina+$2.5Bwas +$3.4B
  6. 6Nevada+$2.3Bwas +$1.8B
  7. 7Colorado+$2.1Bwas +$2.4B
  8. 8Washington+$1.7Bwas +$2.8B
  9. 9Tennessee+$1.6Bwas +$1.8B
  10. 10Idaho+$1.1Bwas +$1.3B

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York-$9.6Bwas -$11.2B
  2. 2California-$8Bwas -$6.9B
  3. 3Illinois-$5.6Bwas -$6.8B
  4. 4New Jersey-$3.2Bwas -$2.8B
  5. 5Maryland-$1.7Bwas -$2B
  6. 6Massachusetts-$1.5Bwas -$1.9B
  7. 7Pennsylvania-$1.4Bwas -$1.6B
  8. 8Virginia-$1.3Bwas -$1.9B
  9. 9Ohio-$1.2Bwas -$1.6B
  10. 10Connecticut-$1.1Bwas -$2.1B
Values are net for the 2017 to 2018 filing years.

States by net people

Biggest gains

  1. 1Florida+121,224was +192,338
  2. 2Texas+80,607was +98,398
  3. 3Arizona+66,009was +75,428
  4. 4North Carolina+56,978was +75,332
  5. 5South Carolina+44,861was +64,791
  6. 6Nevada+37,336was +42,205
  7. 7Georgia+36,738was +46,828
  8. 8Tennessee+32,778was +45,007
  9. 9Washington+30,054was +58,381
  10. 10Colorado+26,840was +32,429

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York-159,480was -226,764
  2. 2California-151,536was -179,388
  3. 3Illinois-87,673was -133,769
  4. 4New Jersey-32,888was -47,031
  5. 5Massachusetts-26,536was -36,001
  6. 6Louisiana-19,769was -28,593
  7. 7Maryland-15,477was -26,058
  8. 8Connecticut-14,449was -19,856
  9. 9Pennsylvania-10,097was -19,979
  10. 10Kansas-9,849was -19,151
Values are net for the 2017 to 2018 filing years.

Counties by net income (AGI)

Biggest gains

  1. 1Palm Beach County, FL+$2.5Bwas +$2B
  2. 2Maricopa County, AZ+$2.2Bwas +$2.3B
  3. 3Collier County, FL+$1.8Bwas +$1.7B
  4. 4Clark County, NV+$1.6Bwas +$1.2B
  5. 5Lee County, FL+$1.2Bwas +$1.1B
  6. 6Sarasota County, FL+$1.1Bwas +$966.4M
  7. 7Miami-Dade County, FL+$989.1Mwas -$526.8M
  8. 8Pinellas County, FL+$821.3Mwas +$859.4M
  9. 9Martin County, FL+$679.9Mwas +$272.7M
  10. 10Travis County, TX+$645.5Mwas +$235M

Biggest losses

  1. 1New York County, NY-$3.9Bwas -$4.3B
  2. 2Cook County, IL-$2.9Bwas -$3.3B
  3. 3Los Angeles County, CA-$2.9Bwas -$3.3B
  4. 4Santa Clara County, CA-$2.6Bwas -$2B
  5. 5Harris County, TX-$1.6Bwas -$2.9B
  6. 6Queens County, NY-$1.4Bwas -$1.7B
  7. 7San Francisco County, CA-$1.3Bwas -$2.4B
  8. 8Middlesex County, MA-$1.2Bwas -$1.3B
  9. 9Kings County, NY-$986.7Mwas -$1.4B
  10. 10Fairfax County, VA-$853.9Mwas -$1.2B
Values are net for the 2017 to 2018 filing years.

Counties by net people

Biggest gains

  1. 1Maricopa County, AZ+38,740was +42,216
  2. 2Clark County, NV+27,316was +31,297
  3. 3Collin County, TX+20,111was +24,933
  4. 4Riverside County, CA+17,679was +29,196
  5. 5Williamson County, TX+16,044was +19,191
  6. 6Polk County, FL+13,339was +18,011
  7. 7Montgomery County, TX+12,824was +16,761
  8. 8Pasco County, FL+12,367was +18,510
  9. 9Denton County, TX+11,804was +19,446
  10. 10Fort Bend County, TX+11,745was +16,644

Biggest losses

  1. 1Los Angeles County, CA-87,479was -111,273
  2. 2Cook County, IL-55,767was -88,517
  3. 3Kings County, NY-43,727was -58,742
  4. 4Queens County, NY-38,389was -47,189
  5. 5Miami-Dade County, FL-36,180was -47,431
  6. 6Harris County, TX-30,513was -56,859
  7. 7Santa Clara County, CA-26,688was -37,382
  8. 8New York County, NY-24,984was -47,037
  9. 9Dallas County, TX-23,131was -21,965
  10. 10Bronx County, NY-22,679was -27,809
Values are net for the 2017 to 2018 filing years.

Net = arrivals minus departures for the 2017–2018filing years. "Prior year" is the same net for 2016–2017 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.