Why 10,000 People Moved from Florida to New Jersey This Year

• 10,000 people moved from Florida to New Jersey this year
• Experts say several key factors are at play
• The high cost of living in NJ is not a big deterrent

The next time you're with a group of friends or co-workers, ask them what they really think about New Jersey.

Most of the time, you'll probably hear something along the lines of, "I can't wait to move out of this state!"

And let's be honest, New Jersey is a state that we love and don't love at the same time.

Top Reasons Why People Move Out of NJ

Why? The easy answers are ridiculous taxes and the sky-high cost of living (have you tried to buy a house lately?). And it's those two things that make moving to the Carolinas or Florida very attractive for thousands of people every year.

• Average NJ homeowner pays just over $10,000/year in property taxes
• Average FL homeowner pays about $2,300/year in property taxes

• READ MORE: The 30 Least-populated Places in New Jersey

Where Are New Jerseyans Moving To?

According to 247wallst.com, here's a sample of the top ten states that people in New Jersey are moving to:

1. Florida
4. California
5. Texas
7. North Carolina
8. Georgia
10. South Carolina

And in case you were wondering, Wyoming is dead last. Only about two dozen people leave here for there.

People are Also Moving to New Jersey

But it's also interesting to note that while those southern states are destinations for those in New Jersey, some of those same states rank high for people moving to New Jersey.

In fact, it is estimated that about 10,000 people move from Florida to New Jersey every year, while about 3,000 people make the move from South Carolina (I could not find an estimate for North Carolina).

Why People Move to New Jersey

As for exactly why moving vans are headed north on Interstate 95 to get here, there are a few reasons.

• READ MORE: New Jersey Surprisingly Tops the Nation in Lightning Deaths in 2025

First, as much as we hate to depend on New York City and Philly for things, huge companies are headquartered in and around those metro areas. Lots of people move to New Jersey to be near better-paying jobs.

Of course, the Garden State is also home to, and near, countless large colleges and universities.

Long story short, New Jersey is an economic and educational hub for the nation and that's very attractive to a lot of people, and they are willing to pay the price to live here.

Florida Is One of the Top States Sending People to NJ

So, where are all of these Jersey-newbies coming from?

We recently turned to Stacker, which recently took a look at census data to determined the top 25 states that are sending the most people to New Jersey.