Americans are voting with their feet in record numbers each day, fleeing blue, Democrat-controlled states into red, Republican states. And with the migration people are taking hundreds of billions of dollars in income with them.
Florida came out on top for population growth due to interstate migration, with an estimated 900 to 1,000 people moving to the Sunshine State each day, according to Consumer Affairs, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and state agencies.
This translates to the greatest income growth, earning $196 billion more in aggregated gross income (AGI) over the course of the decade of 2012-2022, due to positive net migration into the state. Texas came in second.
Without surprise, the two biggest losers were New York, followed by California. Both are high tax, low freedom, high regulation states. But rather than pick on them, let’s take a look at Washington state — an up-and-coming loser.
Although Washington didn’t make either list, its recent actions suggest that it’s trying hard to be one of the worst.
Washington residents were already among the highest taxed citizens in the country, but that wasn’t enough for its lawmakers and new governor. It’s as though they want to be number-one for fleecing its residents.
As a result Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, signed into law the largest tax increase in Washington state history. Here are a few examples.
While residents were already paying the third highest gasoline tax in the country (behind California and Hawaii), they raised it another six cents per gallon.
The Evergreen State initiated a 7% capital gains tax in 2023, but they didn’t think that was enough, so they hiked it up more than 40% to 9.9%.
In addition to taking your money, the state wants to limit your income. A new rent control package limits the amount that a landlord can increase the rent, despite any increases in expenses or maintenance or capital improvements that are made on the property.
The result is obvious: fewer people will be willing to invest in rental property.
What’s worse, While Washington is trying hard to make your life more miserable, it’s also going after your heirs after you die.
The state already had the highest maximum estate tax rate in the country, set at 20%. This year they increased it by 75% — it’s now 35%.
As a result, Washingtonians can now say goodbye to the family farm. Farmers have a reputation for being land rich and cash poor. With little cash being passed to the heirs to pay the estate tax, they’ll have to sell the farm.
Compare that to Florida’s estate and inheritance tax: there isn’t one.
In addition, while Washington Gov. Ferguson is furiously increasing taxes, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is proposing a state constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes on homesteads.
President Trump is wildly popular in Florida, especially after he moved to Mar-a-Lago. He easily won the state three times in each primary and general election, and enjoys an outstanding overall approval of 82% among Florida Republicans in a new poll.
However, the same poll, conducted by the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab, has DeSantis slightly edging Trump out with an 83% approval.
An earlier Mason-Dixon public opinion survey, conducted in March of voters of all parties, also had DeSantis edging Trump out by a single point — 53 to 52%.
DeSantis is in his seventh year as governor.
Washington’s Gov. Ferguson has only been in office six months, so theoretically he should still be in his honeymoon period — riding high on the popularity that got him elected. But it’s not working out that way.
A Cascade PBS/Elway poll concluded this month that only 32% of respondents thought Ferguson was doing an "excellent" or "good" job, while more than half, 53%, gave him "only fair" or "poor" ratings.
This is the lowest job performance rating of any governor within the first six months in office since 1993.
If Ferguson continues on the same path, he’ll only turn Washington into another "blue flight" state. It already has a marginal migration loss.
In 2023 it showed a net loss of 2,661 residents, with 215,277 people moving out and 212,616 moving in. This translates to a net loss of approximately seven people per day.
As residents increasingly "vote with their feet" in search of more tax-friendly states, their own state revenue will continue to decline — along with Ferguson’s approval rating.
What blue state governors always forget is that they don’t work for the government — they work for the people.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.