Debra had a question: are people really moving out of Connecticut? And if so, why and to where?
So, she started a Facebook group called “People Who Have Left or are Leaving Connecticut,” to get answers to who, what, why and, most importantly, where Connecticut residents are going.
In just 18 days membership grew to nearly 604 people, all saying they have left, are leaving or want to leave Connecticut. In the two days between Debra’s interview with Yankee Institute and publication of this article, membership had grown to 864.
“It was just a question of mine,” Debra said, who asked that only her first name be used. “But it’s become a part-time job.”
Debra said she tries to keep the conversation limited to the particulars of moving – what moving companies people use, what states they want to move to — but members often venture into politics, saying Connecticut’s government is one of their chief reasons for leaving.
“People are angry,” Debra said. “With all the taxes and tolls and nickle-and-diming. People from other states are writing in and telling others how good it is once they leave.”
Debra says the biggest complaint among members is Connecticut’s cost of living. “They simply can’t afford it,” she said, and she sympathizes. “I may not be able to stay.”
She made the site a closed group because many members don’t want friends, family and employers to see they are thinking of moving.
While Debra may have been shocked by the response to her Facebook page, the history of Connecticut’s population loss goes back to 2013 when the state’s population began declining year after year.
Studies and reports from both the federal government and the State of Connecticut show Connecticut is losing population to states like Florida, North Carolina and Texas which often have no income tax or lower property taxes.
One of the largest groups leaving the state is retirees who, now living on a fixed income, leave for states with fewer taxes and a lower cost of living.
But they aren’t the only group leaving. Young people often leave for college and stay in whatever state they receive their education and working-age people leave for employment as Connecticut’s economy has lagged behind most other states.
United Van’s annual moving study reported that more people were moving out of Connecticut than in and the primary reason was employment.
The Internal Revenue Service also found that in 2015 Connecticut saw a net loss of $2.6 billion in adjusted gross income as wealthier people left the state and were replaced by those earning less.
Lawmakers have responded by trying to keep pension and social security income tax deductions in place during years in which the state faces budget deficits. The 2019 budget approved by the House and Senate did not raise taxes on retirees.
But the state also instituted a so-called “mansion tax,” which levies a conveyance tax for any property that sells for over $2.5 million – but the tax only takes effect if the seller moves out of state within three years, essentially making it an exit tax for the wealthy.
Connecticut also has to contend with the loss of businesses. Major employers like General Electric and Alexion have moved their headquarters out of state and, with the passage of Connecticut’s new $15 minimum wage, at least one manufacturer in Waterbury says they will have no choice to relocate the business.
Debra says that in the past people often talked of moving but she believes that now “people are actually taking steps to do it.”
“They’re struggling to make ends meet,” Debra said. “It’s not a joke anymore.”
Ted Jeffries
June 7, 2019 @ 6:00 pm
Yankee Institute, please make sure our politicians see this. They are the only ones who can fix this, and only if they have the guts and will power to do it
Frank Kulick
June 18, 2019 @ 9:46 am
Unfortunately these problems are not the politicians but the PEOPLE who voted them in! There will always be bad politicians, it takes wisdom and understanding NOT to vote for such people. The real problem is the people, or at least half the people!
Steene Hargis
October 9, 2019 @ 2:08 am
They don’t want to fix it they are making too much money from spending your tax dollars with their friends.
Lori Fomenko
June 7, 2019 @ 6:05 pm
I don’t want to leave CT. But the taxes are too high. I don’t know how Governor Lamont won. I don’t know one person who voted for him.
I am retiring this year and the cost of living in CT is too high, especially for retirees.
Ron
June 7, 2019 @ 8:01 pm
Sign me up! Had enough of Dimwitted Democrats!
Blair
June 7, 2019 @ 8:01 pm
We are leaving ASAP.
Ray Alexander
June 8, 2019 @ 6:27 pm
“The 2019 budget approved by the House and Senate did not raise taxes on retirees.”
How did you come to this wrong conclusion? There were 25 plus new taxes that will be levied, most of which will affect all CT citizens including retirees. What’s more, the possibility of tolls will affect retirees. Please be honest in your assessment of government actions. These new taxes ARE forcing retirees and others to leave the state. It is drastically increasing income inequality here.. This was the point of this article, correct?
Bruce
June 8, 2019 @ 10:03 pm
Left 5 years ago. Can not afford the property taxes and cost of housing. Liberal politics and govt arrogance toward its citizens is right up there with the taxes.
Smith Smith
June 9, 2019 @ 1:22 am
CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS…..YOU VOTED FOR THESE TAXS WHEN YOU VOTED DEMOCRATIC
WE THE PEOPLE THINK HOW FUNNY YOU ARE…YOU KEEP VOTING THESE PEOPLE.!!!!
REALLY WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL?????.
Anna Beliveau
June 17, 2019 @ 8:47 am
Exactly. The irony of those people who vote for Democrats and then get exactly what was promised…more taxes, tolls, etc. How dare they complain and threaten to move out of state!
Pat
June 17, 2019 @ 7:34 pm
You really think we all voted for them?
C.Greenert
November 2, 2020 @ 9:19 am
I don’t think you individually, but there are alot of liberals from CT and other N.E. States that do. I live in NC. Use to live in new Milford, ct for 6 years growing up 1979-1985. Chapel Hill, here in North Carolina is a N.E. Liberal enclave filled with former CT libs that are trying their dam best to screw our state up with the same B.S. politics they had in CT. I use to think it was just
an amusing little side story here in NC,
but with the 2020 election, COVID-19, and everybody and their uncle bugging out of CT and the N.E. it has me greatly concerned. I feel the resentment and anger every time I pass a NY,NJ,CT,Mass,IL,and even CA
license plate.
Chris Wilson
June 9, 2019 @ 9:15 am
Looks like Facebook took the group down
Debra
June 13, 2019 @ 7:50 am
No Chris Wilson, Still here.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/422024305019590/
Lois A
June 9, 2019 @ 3:33 pm
I would definitely move out, as I feel imprisoned, after being born and raised here, having had a family and friends that are still here and have seen the states’ destruction throughout my past years of residing here. It was a much different Connecticut in my earlier years. Pride in our state has diminished greatly. Our tax burden has gotten out of control and is only getting worse with the new rules and regulations. We’re being forced to make a decision to leave that will, hopefully, benefit us in our future.
bill
June 11, 2019 @ 6:52 am
no more snow!!
JP Walsh
June 16, 2019 @ 4:44 am
Can the YI conduct its own investigation into the bizarro Lamont “win” after midnight on Election Night. The entire State Of Connecticut went to bed on Election Night with the knowledge that Bob Stefanowski would be the next governor. But then – surprise – there were batches of ballots that turned up in Bridgeport. CT has the distinction of the most political corruption of any State in the USA. With Stefanowski, there would not have been this very real Connexit.
Jeff Z
June 17, 2019 @ 11:36 am
Please stop. Stefanowski was an absolute mutt. The Republicans had better candidates and actually promoted one at convention (which ol’ Bob conveniently sidestepped). It was equivalent to a group of people looking at online menu’s before going out to eat. As they arrive at the location a crazy man in the alley starts shouting about free filet mignon & lobster in the dumpster (that would be “no income tax” Bob). The morons in the group fall for it and get food poisoning. There’s your election in a nutshell. 2% of the voting population chose a scam artist in the Republican primary! Blame them!
Bill
June 17, 2019 @ 3:56 pm
Oh tolls only on trucks yea believed that one did u? We all have to step up a LITTLE, believed that one did u. That stepup led us over a cliff with on return. Hanks democrats now we all have to suffer.
Dan
July 6, 2019 @ 8:16 am
We “morons” knew that if the Democrats won, the future would be more of the Malloy past. And sure enough, before the election machines were put away we learned the truck only tolls would be extended and taxes would go up yet again. I don’t have a problem with the”moron” moniker if that is your definition of a conservative against taxing people out of the state but you have to agree that any Democrat who voted for Lamont or their own Democrat representative and expected anything but more of the same taxing and spending is insane. You know, doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result…
Patricia Glass
June 20, 2019 @ 9:12 am
Exactly the same thing happened in Alabama in the Senate election between Moore and Jones. Election night we all went to bed 20 minutes before poll closing knowing that Moore won and was way in the lead. We woke up to Jones election. Obviously he bussed in thousands of out of state people in the last 20 minutes. My friends working at the polls were overwhelmed. It’s so wrong on so many levels. Sorry for you and for us.
DTW
July 6, 2019 @ 7:27 pm
Worth looking into for sure. Suspicious at the very least. Always Bridgeport it seems.
Angelo Pullo
June 16, 2019 @ 6:49 pm
Please keep this site alive, send results to Hartford. May not do anything but there’s also nothing to lose!!
Ronald DeGregory
June 18, 2019 @ 12:05 am
I don’t need a closed site, it is no secret that we will be moving out of this once great state. it will happen next summer as my wife still has approximately 11 more months to work before she can retire. The state taxes and direction that we are heading from tolls, to entitlements for illegals and others is just terrible. Issuing driver licenses, and other items such as college fees waved for illegals. etc. So. we will say goodbye to the taxation state of Connecticut.
Clare O'Lena
June 17, 2019 @ 1:14 pm
I weep for my home state. Yet, at the same time, can’t wait to leave it as it’s too expensive to even think about retiring in. :'(
Martin Horne
June 20, 2019 @ 9:08 am
Born and raised in Bridgeport and now I’m in Florida and loving it. Democrat leadership ruins every place they control.
John Flanagan
September 17, 2019 @ 8:11 pm
I totally agree. Moved to fl. 2 yrs ago and can live on much less!
Charles James
June 20, 2019 @ 10:02 am
Conservatives are very welcome in the great state of Texas. However, if your a liberal just wanting cheaper or free stuff please give us the ole side step and keep going west till you hit the left coast. Thank you! 🙂
Marc
June 20, 2019 @ 12:48 pm
When you do leave for greener pastures and a better way of life, please leave your liberal policies behind. Don’t bring the poison that destroyed your state to FL, TX, NC or TN.
Gerd Fagerholm
July 31, 2019 @ 5:42 pm
Amen, moved here in 2003, love it no state income tax, real estate taxes a small fraction of Ct. no vehicle tax.
James Pace jr
June 24, 2019 @ 7:38 am
We’ve got two more small things to do to the house this year and it’s up for sale next spring. Off the Florida. No income tax, social security tax, very low property tax, cost of living cheaper, weather much better. Cant wait to go.
Rachelle Cox
July 19, 2019 @ 7:02 am
We left CT for Florida 16 years ago and have never looked back. We love it here!
Bill
July 6, 2019 @ 9:46 am
The real “sleight of hand” here is the term “property owner.” If you don’t pay your property taxes, and men with guns come to forcibly remove you, you don’t actually own anything do you?
Regardless of which state you live in, you lease your home from the county and the state.
Let that sink in…
Robert Kay
July 6, 2019 @ 12:57 pm
Hubbell is saying they will be leaving CT within 6 months (close to 1000 jobs lost). Stag Arms is now leaving (another 200 or so jobs lost), there are more For Sale signs out now then weeds in the lawns. People are having to sell for thousands less then they want because it is now a buyers market in the State. With the Special Transportation Fund minus $980 million that was taken out by former Governor Malloy and current Governor Lamont (or as people like to refer him as Daniel Malloy, Junior) and not repleace, the new tolls that will be voted in before the end of the year, is suppose to put millions into the fund, which is a locked box fund (cannot be used for anything except roads and bridges), the money first has to be put into the fund… which it will not.
Bill Lombardi
July 8, 2019 @ 2:34 pm
All you have to do is look to many of our grand parents who migrated to CT over a hundred years ago. They moved to CT and other northeast areas for A BETTER LIFE just as many of us are doing by going South. Look up to them for inspiration! They came here not knowing the language or culture but had the GUTS and long term vision for their families.
When moving South (remember that old saying ‘the South will rise?) we are not moving to Mars!
Ann tilton
September 22, 2019 @ 7:40 pm
We are heading for the ct boarder very soon. My husband and I want to retire but can’t do it in ct. It is very sad ct is such a beautiful state in many ways, but the government is tottaly ruining the state, as far as the voters, they’ll never get it , not to mention vote fraud.
Stefan velez
October 6, 2019 @ 1:46 pm
Every republican In this state voted red every single one not even half the dems voted and they still won that why this state is a blue fortress it didn’t even matter that 430 000 republicans voted in ct it doesn’t matter how you bite blue always wins
Daniel Schofield
November 24, 2019 @ 2:13 pm
Close to retirement age, no way can I retire here in ct. I lived here all my life but I’m sick of the Dem. infestation.
Maverick
January 9, 2020 @ 4:29 pm
Working in Ct. I made good money and kept the bills paid but never had much extra. I retired, moved out of Ct., Am now getting close to 50% of my working income still keeping all the bills paid and now have all kinds of spending money. I can’t figure it out, just glad I moved.
My 90 yr old mother still living in Ct. still paying house tax. I wish she would move.