This series of editorial illustrations highlight the troubles within America’s major cities, driving the established population to leave and take their tax dollars, and therefore the cities’ income with them.

 

The IRS each spring publishes data on the movement of adjusted gross income (AGI) and taxpayers across state lines from year to year, showing New York, Illinois, and California losing taxpayers and income at an increasing clip. The IRS data shows a net 105,000 people left Illinois in 2021, taking with them some $10.9 billion in AGI. That’s up from $8.5 billion in 2020 and $6 billion in 2019. New York’s income loss increased to $24.5 billion in 2021 from $19.5 billion in 2020 and $9 billion in 2019. California lost $29.1 billion in 2021, more than triple what it did in 2019. These trends are continuing. Surveys suggest higher taxes, underfunded pension obligations, plus increased violence, and lowering standards of living are driving this continued population loss, beyond the losses triggered by remote work brought about by COVID.