[ct1010]

I grew up in South Florida. Parents originally from NYC but moved in the '70s when the city was going bankrupt.

I went to college in NY, met my husband and we moved to CT. Couldn't be happier here (unless our family were nearby). Most of my high school friends moved for college and have not gone back to South Florida.

I love CT and think it's a great place for our daughter to grow up!

ETA: I'm in my 30s so guess I'm no longer "youth." *sniff, sniff*

[GrotonMan]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

I'd love to see some sourcing on this.

What I am seeing now at age 35 is many of my friends (myself included) moving back to CT now that we can financially live comfortably there. I don't have any kids, so that's not a consideration. I simply think the lifestyle is superior and I know I will be happier.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/op...CThousing.html
HOMEConnecticut - Young People: They Can't Afford to Stay (http://www.homeconnecticut.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemi d=13 - broken link)
American FactFinder
House Republican Press Release (http://www.housegop.ct.gov/pressrel/GiulianoM023/2008/20080227_GiulianoM023_01.htm - broken link)
http://www.cpbg.org/PDF%20documents/...ed%20Facts.pdf

Really, I could go on all day with sources, unfortunately they start to get redundant unless you want to pay to access somebody else's study.

[mlassoff]

Interesting... Thanks for the actual studies and links. Few on here can actually back up what they claim. All of these (which seem to be based on a single study) claim that economics are the number one reason people are leaving. I totally buy it. I paid $800 for a two bedroom apartment in Austin. A friend of mine pays $650 for his place in New Orleans-- which is surprisingly nice. So you can't make it in CT waiting tables, working in a hotel, etc., without a real struggle.

So what's the solution? Affordable housing? More lower-level opportunities? I will say this... the salaries are MUCH better in Connecticut and that does make up for a lot of the differential in rent and real estate.

It's a complex issue. I'm just glad to be returning!

[GrotonMan]

Most businesses recognize the higher cost of living in Connecticut and adjust their payroll accordingly. I worked for the DoD in high school and the pay rate for my grade had close to the highest COL adjustment for the entire country. But like you said it is quite a complex issue, and there isn't one, single move solution. There is a ton of debate swirling around how to fix it, and everyone feels like their point is the most important one...

[uconn99]

I moved to Arizona when I was 19 to attend Arizona State.

I have been in Arizona since, I am now 28. I find myself wanting to move back to Ct and the Northeast every day. I was just home and miss it already.

There is just something about the people, landscape, and food that is missing in Arizona and the entire West Coast in general.

If I have kids, there is really no better place IMO to raise a family over the northeast. I see myself moving back soon.

[brasscitybluenwhite]

Originally Posted by uconn99

I moved to Arizona when I was 19 to attend Arizona State.

I have been in Arizona since, I am now 28. I find myself wanting to move back to Ct and the Northeast every day. I was just home and miss it already.

There is just something about the people, landscape, and food that is missing in Arizona and the entire West Coast in general.

If I have kids, there is really no better place IMO to raise a family over the northeast. I see myself moving back soon.

i would have thought u went to uconn...

[Silli]

"CT is losing its 25-34 year olds faster than any other state"
That is not entirely true.
Yes, CT has fewer 25-34 year olds than it did 10 years ago. But mostly because we didn't have enough 15-24 year olds to age up into that demographic. It's not that the 25-34 year olds left the fastest- it's that they weren't replaced by new stock.
It is possible to see where people are moving to by looking at IRS data which can be purchased for a small fee. The data doesn't show age but it does indicate household size. The top destinations for small households (likely young people) were the Boston metro counties and Manhattan. For all households, top destinations were Boston/Manhattan, Cape Cod, southern Rhode Island, Phoenix, San Francisco, LA, spots in Florida, metro DC, and San Diego.
We gain households (mostly larger-sized) from Westchester County, Long Island, the outer boroughs and western Massachusetts.

[GrotonMan]

I believe the information that these claims were based on showed the percentage of population fluxuation in that age bracket. I think that the fact that the 25-34 year old age bracket has seen the largest decline of any state in America is pretty decisive. Even if the issue is that there were never the younger people to replace them, it is still a problem because we as a state are not attracting the young people in that age bracket, and based on the college reports, we are also losing them as well. An increasingly aging population, by whatever means, is still an increasingly aging population.

[uconn99]

Originally Posted by brasscitybluenwhite

i would have thought u went to uconn...

My dad was a season ticket holder for basketball since the 70's. He used to carry me into games back in the old field house. While I never attended UConn, I am a huge husky fan.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by uconn99

I moved to Arizona when I was 19 to attend Arizona State.

I have been in Arizona since, I am now 28. I find myself wanting to move back to Ct and the Northeast every day. I was just home and miss it already.

There is just something about the people, landscape, and food that is missing in Arizona and the entire West Coast in general.

If I have kids, there is really no better place IMO to raise a family over the northeast. I see myself moving back soon.

Just do it. I am. I have been in Austin 17 years-- which is about 13 years too long and am making the move. Create a situation for yourself where you can. I went back in to technical training-- where I can live anywhere-- to make the move.

You don't want to be 38 and still unhappy with where you are. AZ is VERY different from CT and, I believe, CT is far superior in many ways. You can make it comfortable, but you can't make it home.

Take a positive step toward moving now. Don't wait another day.