If everybody in America had the opportunity to pack up and move to the state of their choice, Illinois, Connecticut, and Maryland would empty out, according to a new Gallup poll. Around half of residents in all three states said they would relocate to another state given the chance, with Illinois having the highest rate of people (50%) who want to get out; Connecticut clocked in at 49%, and Maryland at 47%. People in Montana, Hawaii, and Maine were the most inclined to stay put, with just 23% of residents of each state saying they would take the opportunity to move.
People in Illinois not only want to leave, they're among the most likely to actually do it, the Washington Post notes. Some 19% said they were extremely to somewhat likely to move out of the state in the next 12 months, a proportion only topped by Nevada, where 20% of residents are seriously considering a move. "Nevada, Illinois, Maryland, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Connecticut all appear particularly vulnerable to losing population in the coming few years," Gallup concludes, while "Texas, Minnesota, and Maine have little to fear." (Where to move to? This state is apparently the happiest.)