Last night, during a record-breaking X.com Spaces interview with Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Trump discussed the state of Illinois and Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Trump said of Pritzker, “Illinois is badly run with Pritzker. He’s a real loser.”
To which, Musk responded “Some of these governors are doing so badly. I mean, they got so many people moving out of their state, they should get U-Haul Salesman of the Year Award.”
You can listen to their entire conversation below.
At the Illinois Policy Institute, Bryce Hill, the Director of Fiscal and Economic Research, explains that Illinois has lost population each year for the last ten years, and in 2023, the state lost 83,839 residents. He writes:
Illinois lost 83,839 residents who moved to other states, one of the highest rates in the U.S. and driving a 10th consecutive year of population decline. It ranks near the bottom on multiple other population measures, too.
A decade of population declines is bad, but when Illinois’ 2023 population drop and loss of residents to other states are examined there is an even greater level of concern.
Here are some ways the U.S. Census Bureau recently measured Illinois’ poor ability to keep its residents.
Illinois vs. others: The state’s number of people moving to other states and total population decline are among the worst in the nation. When comparing all 50 states’ 2023 population change, Illinois (-32,826) ranks 48th with only California (-75,423) and New York (-101,984) losing more people. Even when considering population size, Illinois ranks 47th in total population decline with only Hawaii, Louisiana and New York losing population faster.
The same trends hold true for domestic migration – the sole cause of Illinois’ population decline. Illinois (-83,839) ranks 48th in raw domestic migration, ahead of only New York (-216,778) and California (-338,371). When measured relative to the state’s total population, Illinois’ outmigration crisis ranks 46th, with only residents of Alaska, Hawaii, California and New York leaving their states at a faster rate.
Action Line: When will Pritzker stop by U-Haul headquarters to receive his reward? Illinois is one of Your Survival Guy’s Escape States. If you’re leaving Illinois and you’re looking for a better America, start your search with Your Survival Guy’s 2024 Super States. In the meantime, click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 13, 2024
