Illinois exodus: Residents leaving the state in droves, data shows
CHICAGO - No other state lost a bigger chunk of income in 2019 than Illinois.
Six-billion dollars of earnings flowed elsewhere, as more than 80,000 residents left the state, according to an analysis of IRS statistics conducted by Wirepoints.
Illinois, West Virginia and Mississippi are the only states in the union that lost population over the past decade.
So, where are those people and their tax dollars going? The answer is Florida, Texas and Arizona.
Florida actually gained almost $18 billion in income in 2019.
Wirepoints predicts the rush to get out of Illinois will continue, as long as Springfield refuses to pursue meaningful spending and pension reforms.
FOX 32 news asked Governor JB Pritzker about this concerning development in a one-on-one interview Thursday.
"Illinois has been going through this terrible situation for really decades now where there has been a lack of attention to truly balancing the budget, to focusing on paying down debt, making sure we have our fiscal situation in order, and attracting businesses," Pritzker said.
The governor says he aims to do all those things while also paying public employees the retirement benefits they expect to collect.
In addition, the population of Illinois has decreased so much that the state lost a seat in Congress this year because of the latest Census.