Christie's New Jersey Tops States People Are Exiting

New Jersey, whose governor Chris Christie is running for president, leads the list of states people are moving out of, according to a data released by United Van Lines. 

According to the data, 67 percent of New Jersey moves were outbound.

The main reason people are moving out of some states and into others is cost-of-living, The Heritage Foundation's Salim Furth notes in a column for the Daily Signal.

Christie has touted his record of growth during his White House bid, but his state has faced nine credit downgrades and a lagging economy. Many of the state's journalists say those numbers aren't being focused on by the national press as Christie's poll numbers rise in New Hampshire.

"I think New Jersey's economic record will get talked about a lot. It is not as good as he portrays it being," Gannett's Michael Symons told Media Matters. "He says job growth under him has been more than it was under the past four governors. That is in part the result of the national economy. New Jersey as it compares to other states, only 7 or 8 states have a lower rate of private sector job growth when you go back to when he took office."

"We lead the nation in foreclosures," added Michael Aron, chief political correspondent for public television station NJTV. "We have the highest property taxes in the nation, we are the 49th or 50th most heavily taxed state in the country."

Here are the top 10 states people are moving out of:

1. New Jersey
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. Connecticut
5. Ohio
6. Kansas
7. Massachusetts
8. West Virginia
9. Mississippi
10. Maryland

And the top 10 where people are moving in:

1. Oregon
2. South Carolina
3. Vermont
4. Idaho
5. North Carolina
6. Florida
7. Nevada
8. District of Columbia
9. Texas
10. Washington

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