Gallop Poll - Estimates how many people want to leave the state they are in

[Snowman]

Source: Half in Illinois and Connecticut Want to Move Elsewhere

When asked: regardless if they would move, if they had the opportunity, would you like to move to another state, or would you like to stay in your current state?
Oklahoma was #36 in percentage of people wanting to move, is 30% yes, 69% no, 1% no opinion.

When asked: looking ahead, when looking ahead how likely is it you will move in the next 12 months is it {extremely likely, very likely, somewhat likely, not too likely, or not likely at all}
Oklahoma was #27 7% extremely/very likely, 6% somewhat likely, 85% not too/not at all likely

[Bunty]

How nice fewer people want to get out of the state of Texas.

[PennyQuilts]

Yup. Anyone getting itchy feet might want to check out the stats before they head to a given location.

[bchris02]

Interesting. I would have thought California and Ohio would be higher and North Carolina would be lower.

[Snowman]

Interesting. I would have thought California and Ohio would be higher and North Carolina would be lower.

It might be Californians want their government officials to leave, I could see that being a higher number than wanting to leave themselves here too.

[PennyQuilts]

Some thoughts: I have retired friends in Ohio with extended family. They often talk about the rust belt wave and how tough it was with many middle class families losing their jobs and lifestyle. That's been awhile ago and for whatever reason, they've adjusted and many former factory workers either already left or began concentrating on going into skilled labor/trades. Certainly they encouraged their children in that direction. Ohio is no young state and it's proximity to Chicago and other large cities allow many of their young to leave home with little angst but move back when they get that out of their system. So many people have deep roots there. The states they butt up against that have high rates of wanting to move have their own problems and policies that might not spill over to a nearby state.

As to California, we always hear about how many hate it, that it has an anti business climate, is expensive, has a wacked out government, etc. I think we tend to hear more from struggling middle class professionals who want to leave to try to get ahead rather than the poor who flock there in droves. There is a very strong Hispanic population with no desire to abandon that area and leave friends and family. It is a beautiful state and outside the cities, has a great standard of living. I have a number of friends and relatives there and some stay because it's "home," I have some gay friends who like the welcome atmosphere (although many hate the state, otherwise) and some are just hoping something will fall in their lap that will take them elsewhere but feel no burning desire to make it happen. My niece is a law student out there (seems to be the family business!) and she loves it.

As for North Carolina, that surprised me, too. Beautiful state, nice climate and lots of jobs compared to other places and being an old state, deep family roots.

Most of the places with a high number of people who want to leave have big cities that drew people for jobs rather than being raised there. Big cities have wonderful things in terms of entertainment but they also are stressful, dirty, very expensive, loud, etc. They tend to provide more public assistance and thus draw the most poor and the most affluent. That quickly makes the col rise for the middle class and they look elsewhere unless good paying jobs are plentiful. Houston and Dallas are sprawled out where people can find homes they can afford and still get good paying jobs. Not all cities manage that. And some cities are so poorly managed and have such crappy school systems that despite their other good attributes, people who can, move away. If you are a professional, that usually means you chose another big city because that is where the work is. Tradesmen and skilled labor have a bit more flexibility.

[gjl]

The only thing that makes me ever want to leave Oklahoma is the summer time heat.

[PWitty]

Well said PennyQuilts.

[Rover]

Interesting that taxes and cost of living weren't so much of a catalyst for moving. Business reasons by far was the most important reason to move. Lifestyle was only middle of the road.

[PennyQuilts]

The only thing that makes me ever want to leave Oklahoma is the summer time heat.

That is what vacations are for!

[bradh]

Interesting that taxes and cost of living weren't so much of a catalyst for moving. Business reasons by far was the most important reason to move. Lifestyle was only middle of the road.

Lifestyle is what you make it. Sure, places like Colorado have skiing, others have the coasts for recreation and fishing, but I've always found that most people I know are able to find activities to fill their time. I don't find it that surprising that work is the biggest reason for relocation.

[gjl]

That is what vacations are for!

4 month vacations? For me the worst months for Oklahoma heat are June-Sept.

[Mel]

Moving! Ain't nobody got time for that.

[PennyQuilts]

4 month vacations? For me the worst months for Oklahoma heat are June-Sept.

Really? I adore June and most of July. I even like the second half of September.

[adaniel]

Lifestyle is what you make it. Sure, places like Colorado have skiing, others have the coasts for recreation and fishing, but I've always found that most people I know are able to find activities to fill their time. I don't find it that surprising that work is the biggest reason for relocation.

The downside to a lot of these lifestyle destinations like Colorado, SoCal, Florida, certain parts of the Atlantic seaboard, etc. is that everyone wants to move there with these idyllic images of perpetual paradise in their heads. A lot of these places have no real economic base and/or an outrageous COL. FWIW the most expensive place to live in the US is not NY or SF its Honolulu.

Obviously money isn't everything but jobs and the ability to make a living for one's self will always be the driving force behind the majority of moves.

[bchris02]

The downside to a lot of these lifestyle destinations like Colorado, SoCal, Florida, certain parts of the Atlantic seaboard, etc. is that everyone wants to move there with these idyllic images of perpetual paradise in their heads. A lot of these places have no real economic base and/or an outrageous COL. FWIW the most expensive place to live in the US is not NY or SF its Honolulu.

Obviously money isn't everything but jobs and the ability to make a living for one's self will always be the driving force behind the majority of moves.

That's the issue with Charlotte. There are few places in this country that I would say have a better quality of life than Charlotte, but the economy is only ho-hum and people are still moving there in droves. A lot of people end up significantly underemployed as I was. That's when you have to decide whether career or lifestyle is more important. I am sure family and roots also play a part. Had my family not been in Oklahoma, I would have probably gone to Raleigh-Durham or the DC area.

[Dennis Heaton]

I was brought up in San Francisco and San Diego; liked Arizona (4 years); looooooooved South Carolina (18 years); I like Oklahoma (not just because I have to be here) because I have had and do have the absolute best neighbors, and the cost of living is fantastic (1999 to present); and I hope to live the last chapter of my life along the coast of Oregon (Coos Bay or Astoria).

[Urbanized]

Man, I seriously wish I had a nickel for every time Charlotte has been mentioned on OKCTalk...

[RadicalModerate]

I wonder if results from the Gallup Poll would differ from those shown at the top of the thread . . .

[Pete]

Having lived in California now 20+ years, I can say that virtually everyone talks about leaving almost nobody does.

It sounds like a great idea just to head for someplace cheaper and with less traffic... And then you realize everywhere you look there are tons of tradeoffs (expensive places are expensive for a reason) and there is no utopia.

I've looked very hard at relocating to most major cities in the U.S., plus a few abroad. I may ultimately leave, but I haven't done it yet.


Almost took jobs in Seattle, Portland, Charlotte (yes, Charlotte), Bay Area and some others. Frankly these days, I'd be more inclined towards KC, Indy, Milwaukee or Pittsburgh. Really like the idea of older cities that have made a nice comeback.

[Dennis Heaton]

. I may ultimately leave, but I haven't done it yet. Really like the idea of older cities that have made a nice comeback.

Ever consider Charleston, SC?

[Pete]

^

I don't like the South at all, which is one of the reasons I decided against Charlotte.


I love Minneapolis but it's crazy cold and snowy.

[bchris02]

If you can stand the cold, Minneapolis offers a very vibrant, urban life and can legitimately be mentioned alongside places like Austin, Portland, and Denver.

And in my opinion, OKC is more genuinely Southern in culture than many of the urban centers on the Atlantic seaboard due to the fact they have had so many northern transplants. Oklahoma's Southernness is more undiluted. If you are adjusted to OKC then there should be no culture shock from places like Charleston, Columbia, Savannah, etc. Charlotte, thanks to their boom, has lost a lot of its Southernness.

[Urbanized]

^

I don't like the South at all, which is one of the reasons I decided against Charlotte...

I'm with you. "Southern hospitality" in general is a lie. It's still very clannish; a holdover from the people who originally settled there. Lots of nice words said to your face and not-so-nice behind your back too, according to friends who have lived in places like Memphis and Savannah.

And I'm sorry, the scars of slavery and Jim Crow are still evident, with a strong distrust and unease simmering right beneath the surface for a lot of people. You can often feel it in the air there; I was pretty shocked the first few times I traveled in the south. Sounds like Charlotte might be a little bit different thank to in-migration from other parts of the country.

In general I find that people in the midwest and more specifically plains states and those that border them, plus the southwest and mountain states, tend to be more nice/friendly than anywhere else in the country. In other words, "flyover states".

[Pete]

And in my opinion, OKC is more genuinely Southern in culture than many of the urban centers on the Atlantic seaboard due to the fact they have had so many northern transplants. Oklahoma's Southernness is more undiluted. If you are adjusted to OKC then there should be no culture shock from places like Charleston, Columbia, Savannah, etc. Charlotte, thanks to their boom, has lost a lot of its Southernness.

Depends strongly on which aspects of the Southern culture you're talking about and I don't care to get into the reasons I generally don't like the former confederate states.