Latest census: NJ to lose one congressional seat (Paterson, Toms River: leases, health insurance)

[mike0421]

Full article:Analysis: Census data shows 8 states could lose House seats - USATODAY.com

Keeping those taxes high, this tells me more and more New Jerseyans are fleeing their home state, and seeking greener pastures. In contrast, what do the leading states for population gain (as a %) all have in common? Lower tax rates, both on personal income and on businesses. In contrast, states that are unfriendly to businesses (Rhode Island, Michigan etc) people are voting with their feet and moving in droves.

I think if you asked most why they are moving, it's much the same reason I did: to keep your head above water, and relocate somewhere where you aren't being constantly pounded over the head by the over-reaching arm of government.

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by mike0421

Full article:Analysis: Census data shows 8 states could lose House seats - USATODAY.com

Keeping those taxes high, this tells me more and more New Jerseyans are fleeing their home state, and seeking greener pastures. In contrast, what do the leading states for population gain (as a %) all have in common? Lower tax rates, both on personal income and on businesses. In contrast, states that are unfriendly to businesses (Rhode Island, Michigan etc) people are voting with their feet and moving in droves.

I think if you asked most why they are moving, it's much the same reason I did: to keep your head above water, and relocate somewhere where you aren't being constantly pounded over the head by the over-reaching arm of government.

mike - I still love NJ, but for someone retired and living on less than 30K, moving made a lot of economic sense.

Taxes on my 900 sq ft 1940 built Paterson Cape Cod $5600
Taxes on my 2851 sq ft Union County NC 2005 built colonial $2100
I pay that NC amount because I live in the city - outside of the "city area" my taxes would be $1100. But I like a good police & paid fire dept!

Car Insurance on 2001 Ford Focus Wagon NJM $1183 (2005)
Car Insurance on 2001 Ford Focus Wagon Encompass $371 (2008)

Plus NC doesn't tax federal pensions NJ does. That saves me about $500 a year so far.

So I save just about $5000 by living in NC over living in NJ. Plus, having a new house three times the size and not having to "cringe" when I had to tell people "I live in Paterson" and then having them give you that "pity" look is priceless!

In July of 2006 NC passed NJ in population, and now I see it's got some 600,000 more people. We'll gladly take a congressman off your hands. Down here, the politicians are just as obnoxious, but they "cost" a lot less!

[BrianH1970]

Originally Posted by TheEmissary

Car Insurance on 2001 Ford Focus Wagon NJM $1183 (2005)
Car Insurance on 2001 Ford Focus Wagon Encompass $371 (2008)

We've got two cars that we're paying off, a 2005 Mazda Tribute SUV and a Hyundai Accent, full liens, 800 dollars a year total on Allstate.

Union county may be our next stop out of Concord. There are too many nice homes at very affordable prices in that area. I've had my eye on certain spots around Concord, but I love that whole Indian Trail/Waxhaw/Wesley Chapel area. Not sure if it'll happen in 2009, I'd like to see it happen then, but it won't be much longer after that. Which is the beauty of the whole thing: being able to talk about buying a home, something that we weren't able to do much of in New Jersey. If the cost of the house didn't get you the property taxes did. Or the combination of the two created something wholly unaffordable. And if it's affordable today, it might be completely unaffordable a year from now.

Like I've said, I have no idea what needs to happen to bring New Jersey back to some reasonable level of cost, but I don't see it happening in my lifetime. It's all dead horse beating anyway. I'd rather think about my first trip back up to the Tropicana in AC anyway.

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by BrianH1970

We've got two cars that we're paying off, a 2005 Mazda Tribute SUV and a Hyundai Accent, full liens, 800 dollars a year total on Allstate.

Union county may be our next stop out of Concord. There are too many nice homes at very affordable prices in that area. I've had my eye on certain spots around Concord, but I love that whole Indian Trail/Waxhaw/Wesley Chapel area. Not sure if it'll happen in 2009, I'd like to see it happen then, but it won't be much longer after that. Which is the beauty of the whole thing: being able to talk about buying a home, something that we weren't able to do much of in New Jersey. If the cost of the house didn't get you the property taxes did. Or the combination of the two created something wholly unaffordable. And if it's affordable today, it might be completely unaffordable a year from now.

Like I've said, I have no idea what needs to happen to bring New Jersey back to some reasonable level of cost, but I don't see it happening in my lifetime. It's all dead horse beating anyway. I'd rather think about my first trip back up to the Tropicana in AC anyway.

Brian - I'll be glad to welcome you to the neighborhood! I guess you'll be fine visiting AC as long as you don't have to visit all your relatives! It seems half of Union County NC is really a secret Jersey suburb anyway!

[BrianH1970]

Originally Posted by TheEmissary

Brian - I'll be glad to welcome you to the neighborhood! I guess you'll be fine visiting AC as long as you don't have to visit all your relatives! It seems half of Union County NC is really a secret Jersey suburb anyway!

Heh...They wouldn't dare. Besides, they're Toms River's problem anyway, they'd never go to AC. Their idea of a vacation is a ten minute drive to a bay, a road trip is seeing the sign, "Now Entering Middlesex County", a drive to Atlantic City for them would almost be like a cross country trip. The only way they'd find themselves in AC is if my five year old nephew (aka God) insisted on going. But don't get me started there....

Before this mortgage crunch our complex in Concord, just on the cusp of Mecklenburg county, was a very transient place. I can't tell you how many different New York and New Jersey plates I would see for the length of any of the leases and then go once a house was secured. Not coincidentally, once the layoffs started ramping up, the less plates I'd see and the more people just had to stay put. One has to wonder what happens once this economy starts to turn up again. Once it does I realistically see ourselves Union county bound...Waxhaw...Weddington...Indian Trail...one of those towns.

With Corzine in office the situation up there has just gotten worse and worse. I have little doubt that he'll wind up back in the same seat, chasing more of the middle class out of the state. I love New Jersey. Anybody who knows me knows I loooove that state. I just won't have one or two of us working two jobs just to keep our heads above water to prove it.

[ottomobeale]

Its mostly about survival. Hence FL had a big slow down in inflow and NY out flow slowed down.

I moved to NJ because that is where my new job was. There is no such thing as home any more. You go where you get a salary to take care of the family and get health insurance. People are disposable commodities. Deal with it.

[mike0421]

Great article and accompanied maps on the subject by the Pew Research Center:
http://pewsocialtrends.org/assets/pd...nd-Stayers.pdf
Pew Social & Demographic Trends: Who Moves? Who Stays Put? Where’s Home?
Maps: Migration Flows in the United States

The 'mouse over' effect on the last link is very interesting.