migration

This edition of Mapping Mass Migration features an analysis of recently released demographic estimates from the Census Bureau. Our analysis covers how Massachusetts' population has changed since the pandemic by race and age, discussing the state's shrinking youth population, its flat growth among prime-aged working demographics, its growing racial and ethnic diversity, and how it compares to other states. The newsletter concludes with a brief discussion of what implications these trends may have for the Bay State's future population growth.

Massachusetts is facing a net loss of taxpayers and AGI. Learn about where these taxpayers are migrating to, and potential reasons for that migration.

State-to-state migration can have serious impacts on the local economy. Migrants to Massachusetts come from all over the country, but significant portions of both new taxpayers and new taxable income come from just a few sources, such as New England, New York, Florida, and California.

While many Massachusetts residents relocated to either New Hampshire or Florida in 2021, a considerable amount of New Yorkers migrated into Massachusetts. Their motivation to relocate seems largely tied to the harsh taxes in New York, which surpass the rates in Massachusetts.

The economy is doing great, so why are people leaving Massachusetts?

Using Pioneer Institute’s newest database, Massachusetts IRS Data Discovery, we can see migration trends among Massachusetts citizens to other U.S. states and counties from 2019. For a specific example of migration, we can look at Barnstable County (Cape Cod) to see if...

Advocates for a state constitutional amendment that would apply a 4 percent surtax to households with annual earnings of more than $1 million rely heavily on the assumption that these proposed taxes will have little impact on the mobility of high earners. They cite analyses by Cornell University Associate Professor Cristobal Young, which exclude the vast majority of millionaires, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.

Advocates of a constitutional amendment that would apply a 4 percent tax on all annual individual income over $1 million argue that similar taxes in other states have had little impact on the migration of millionaires, citing the research of Cornell University Associate Professor Cristobal Young, which suggests that “millionaires’ taxes” enacted in other states similar to the one being proposed in Massachusetts have had little impact on millionaire mobility. This paper demonstrates that he drastically undercounts millionaires, and outlines several ways in which he and tax advocates underestimate the number of people who will at some point in their lives be subject to a so-called millionaire’s tax and tax flight trends.