High number of people seem to want to leave (Phoenix: sales, 2014)

[pbenjamin]

This ought to get a lot of people here stirred up:

1 in 5 Arizonans likely to move out in next 12 months

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

This ought to get a lot of people here stirred up:

1 in 5 Arizonans likely to move out in next 12 months

The one in five did not surprise me that much. It is fairly consistent with national mobility patterns in good times. As the story points out, more people will move in than move out in any case. Growth is certain. The thing that did stand out was that 38% of people who live here would move if they could. I would be in that number, for sure, but did not think there were many like me. It seems everyone I meet here, loves it here.

[grmi66]

Arizona has always been a transient state. Took a class on the demographics of Arizona in college twenty years ago. Back then for every three people moving in, two people moved out. The population of the state has almost doubled in that amount of time, so it's nothing to be concerned about.

[Jukesgrrl]

As long as the escapees from Illinois, New York, Idaho, etc., keep moving INTO Arizona, what difference does it make? Some states (and I would count Arizona as one) just have a higher than average transient population. For whatever reason, many residents don't live their whole lives here.

For every article like this one, you see more than one saying Arizona is in the top-ten list of states growing the fastest.
Arizona - In Photos: The 10 Fastest-Growing U.S. States - Forbes
The Fastest-Growing States in America (and Why They're Booming) - Jordan Weissmann - The Atlantic
Ten Fastest Growing States in the United States by Population Growth - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com

How can a population be growing if "everyone" is leaving? Does not compute. Given Gallup's lack of success in polling the most recent presidential election, I'd vote for growing, not leaving (but you can probably find a Gallup poll to support that side of the argument, too). In any case, the next U.S. Census will reveal all, so who needs a poll before then?

[Potential_Landlord]

The realtor leaflet by zip code that we get every month was all up in arms reporting "people moving into Arizona on strike" like the migration into Arizona suddenly stopped. It blamed this demographic trend (so it exists) on the falling home sales and flattening RE market. Not sure if this is all serious, but it sounded really alarming, which is unusual fora realtor. Usually they like to paint everything rose-colored.

[43north87west]

Just to be fair:

Arizona is also above the national average of 33 percent in the number of people who would move out of state if the could. Of the Arizonans surveyed, 38 percent would move if they could.

Half of Illinois residents would leave if they could, the highest percentage in the nation.

Only 23 percent of residents of Montana, Hawaii and Maine would flee, the lowest rate nationally.

What this tells me is that the best it gets, is that almost one in four people are unhappy about where they live, even if where they live is one of the most beautiful places in the country. The worst it gets is one out of two. That's Illinois, though, which ought to make sense to anyone who has ever lived there.

One other thing is the number of people who seem to move here without having a clue about what it is, where it is, or what to expect. Out of the supposed 33 percent, I have to wonder how many people just showed up expecting to land a job and buy a house and have the red carpet rolled out for them. That seems to be a disease in sunbelt states, and it's a recipe for disaster. When things don't work out, they quickly blame the state, and move on to their next bad decision.

[timtemtym]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

The thing that did stand out was that 38% of people who live here would move if they could. I would be in that number, for sure, but did not think there were many like me. It seems everyone I meet here, loves it here.

Why would you move out? Just curious!

If anywhere in urban/suburban Arizona paid teachers well enough, I'd move there! Phoenix area pays about half of what I make in California and about 15k less than what I could make going back to Texas. So I'll hang out in LA until retirement. Tucson is even lower.

I wonder why Illinois topped the list?? People I know from Chicagoland have left for a few years and then return. It's an area with a pretty good standard of living and their state income taxes are similar to AZ (3% flat rate). COL is high, but wages seem to be keeping up.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

I wonder why Illinois topped the list?? People I know from Chicagoland have left for a few years and then return. It's an area with a pretty good standard of living and their state income taxes are similar to AZ (3% flat rate). COL is high, but wages seem to be keeping up.

Miserable traffic, crime, horrendous weather, corrupt politicians, onerous property taxes, high cost of living, and outside of Chicagoland and a few select spots, a shaky economy. Don't get me wrong; Chicago is a nice city, and one can have a great life in it. But like other eastern cities, so much about it is broken or run down, and the government basically rapes its residents at every possible opportunity.

While Phoenix isn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, it's a lot nicer than a lot of eastern cities, even with the perpetual mentions of "lack of culture" and all those things that usually accompany Phoenix rants.

I've lived around the country, and it seems like wherever you go, there are always people who want to leave. That's going to be true for anywhere, including here. Any state that has an extreme of anything--even weather--is going to attract people who love what it offers, and annoy those who don't like it.

IMO, a lot of people move away from their "home" state, then return because they can't adjust elsewhere, and decide to put up with their home state's problems rather than to adapt elsewhere. Personally, I look at what an area has to offer, rather than what it doesn't have. That's just me; I'm not suggesting that anyone is wrong for wanting to leave for their own reasons. It's just seems as if a lot of people leave where they are, then ending up wishing that they hadn't.

Overall, I think Arizona stacks up pretty well.

[AZgarden]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

The one in five did not surprise me that much. It is fairly consistent with national mobility patterns in good times. As the story points out, more people will move in than move out in any case. Growth is certain. The thing that did stand out was that 38% of people who live here would move if they could. I would be in that number, for sure, but did not think there were many like me. It seems everyone I meet here, loves it here.

I am like you Ponderosa. I just think, after awhile, you get sick of the desert, the brown, all the cookie cutter houses, the gravel yards, the schools here, and really nothing historic or interesting to do, after you have done the usual tourist things. The first couple years I was amazed at the beauty here compared to Chicago, IL, but, if I could, I would go back. I cannot because of the horrendous property taxes there but I do agree, its a great place to live.

[Tall Traveler]

I just think there are a lot of people that move to Zona thinking the job market will be as good as where they came from and it may not be and people that don't realize how much they will miss their family or other things from where they moved. Nevertheless, Zona continues as one of the fastest growing states because so many love the sun and warm winters.