Poll: Residents of Illinois, Connecticut, Maryland most eager to move to another state

WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- Residents of Illinois, Connecticut and Maryland most want to move elsewhere, a Gallup poll says.

On the other side, those living in Montana, Hawaii and Maine tend to want to stay put with only 23 percent saying they would like to move to another state. In Illinois, exactly 50 percent would like a change of state.

Overall, about one-third of those in the United States would like to move to a different state. In Nevada, where 43 percent of the residents would like to move, one in five says they are actually planning to do so in the next year, the highest of any state.

The findings are based on the same data as a Gallup report earlier this week on residents' attitudes towards their states. They tend to track the same way -- with some interesting exceptions.

Alaska tied with Montana in its percentage of satisfied residents, but Alaskans are about average in their desire to move. Maine was not in the top 10 in happy residents, but it ties with Montana and Hawaii in desire to move elsewhere and only 8 percent in the state plan to do so in the next 12 months.

Gallup found that only 24 percent in New Hampshire, Oregon and Texas want to move, followed by 25 percent in Colorado and Minnesota, 26 percent in South Dakota and 27 percent in Wyoming. In Connecticut, 49 percent want to move, 47 percent in Maryland, 43 percent in Nevada, 42 percent in Rhode Island, 41 percent in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, 40 percent in Louisiana and 39 percent in Mississippi.

In the top 10 states for people planning to move soon, almost one-third, 31 percent, said it was for work or business reasons. The other top reasons for relocating were joining family and friends, getting better weather or an improved location and enjoying a better quality of life.

Gallup surveyed at least 600 people in every state in the second half of 2013. The margin of error is 5 percentage points for each state sample.