IRS report shows nearly 2,500 people left California for South Dakota
(The Center Square) – More people are moving into South Dakota than leaving and some are leaving behind sunny California for the state’s colder climate, according to data released from the IRS.
South Dakota lost 23,085 residents to other states, according to 2021 federal tax forms. But the state gained 29,351 residents.
The majority of the residents lost, 2,673, moved to neighboring Minnesota. But 3,579 people moved to South Dakota from Minnesota, according to the data. Additionally, 2,484 residents moved to the state from California.
Gov. Kristi Noem has said several times that the state is growing.
“Thousands of people are moving to South Dakota, and they’re not moving here for our beaches,” Noem said in a February 2022 Twitter post. “They’re moving because they want to live somewhere where the government respects them. They want to be free, and they know they can do that in South Dakota.”
South Dakota was the only state that did not impose any restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state does not have a corporate or state income tax.
The influx of residents also means more money for the state. The data shows an adjusted gross income of 1.22 billion moving into the state and just $7.7 million lost for a net gain of $450.9 million.
California lost the most residents, followed by New York and Illinois, according to the data. The states gaining the most residents are Florida, Texas, the Carolinas and Tennessee.
The IRS data does not reflect residents who do not file federal income tax returns.
