</p

Gallup also asked how likely it wasrnthat respondents would move in the next 12 months.  An average of 6 percent of residents said itrnwas extremely or very likely they would relocate within a year and 8 percentrnsaid it was somewhat likely. rnSeventy-three percent said such a move was not likely at all and 14rnpercent said it was not too likely.  Thosernwho indicated any degree of likelihood of moving were asked an open-endedrnquestion as to why. While the sample size was small, the most frequent reasonrncited was for work or business, a nationwide average of 31 percent.  Nineteen percent of respondents indicated anyrnmove would be related to family or social reasons while weather or location wasrngiven by 11 percent and a better quality of life or desiring change by 9rnpercent.  </p

Gallup said that state leaders havernimportant reasons for wanting continued population growth; more commerce,rneconomic vitality, and a larger tax base. rnA shrinking population not only presents less healthy economic possibilitiesrnbut can mean a loss of political clout through reduced Congressionalrnrepresentation.   The company says its poll finds some states “farrnbetter positioned than others to retain residents, and thus possibly attractrnnew ones.”  Not only is there a widernvariation in the percentage of residents who say they would leave if theyrncould, but when responses about the likelihood of a move within the year arerncombined, other danger signals flash.   </p

Gallup finds that Nevada, Illinois,rnMaryland, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Connecticut appear particularlyrnvulnerable to losing population in the coming few years.  High percentages of residents say they wouldrnleave and larger than average numbers indicate some likelihood of actuallyrndoing so.  However, Texas, Minnesota, andrnMaine have little to fear. Residents of these states are among the least likelyrnto want to leave and few are planning on it in the next 12 months.</p

Gallup notes that it has conductedrnthree other 50-state polls measuring resident satisfaction with state taxes,rnstate government, and perceptions of how the resident’s state compares tornothers as a place to live.  Texas hasrnranked in the top ten in all three while Illinois, Rhode Island, and Maryland werernnear the bottom in each.

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