The Blue State Blues

Steven Malanga of City Journal provides a link to a Gallup study of the factors which explain a desire to leave the state in which one currently lives. Gallup reports:

Residents living in states with the highest aggregated state tax burden are the most likely to report they would like to leave their state if they had the opportunity. Connecticut and New Jersey lead in the percentage of residents who would like to leave their state.

Even after controlling for various demographic characteristics including age, gender, race and ethnicity, and education, there is still a strong relationship between total state tax burden and desire to leave one's current state of residence.

Tax burdens are based on Tax Foundation data. The aggregated state tax burden is based on the combined income, property and sales tax rates in each state.

Who knew? People don't love paying taxes.