More than two-thirds of native Hoosiers stay in Indiana
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
People who are born in Indiana apparently like to stay in Indiana.
Driving the news: Nearly 69% of native Hoosiers were still living in Indiana in 2021, and the state has an outmigration rate of 22 out of 1,000 residents, according to a new Dallas Fed report.
- The report used U.S. Census Bureau data to rank each state's "stickiness," determining which are best at retaining their native residents.
- Outmigration measures both people born here and people who have moved here from elsewhere.
Why it matters: Residents sticking around is key to maintaining a stable population and workforce, which is vital to economic growth, per the study.
Zoom out: Indiana came in 18th nationally for "stickiness." Texas came in first with 82%, and Wyoming came in last at about 45%.
- Four of the five "stickiest" states had below-average state and local tax burdens, the report's authors pointed out.
The intrigue: Indiana ranks 9th nationally in overall state business tax climate, while Wyoming — which does not have corporate or individual taxes — ranks 1st, according to the Tax Foundation think tank.
- Indiana state lawmakers are considering eliminating the income tax — and at least one candidate for governor supports the idea — but it would cost roughly $8 billion annually.
Threat level: A 2022 report from Ascend Indiana and EmployIndy found the pandemic "permanently altered" Indiana's job landscape, accelerating job growth in occupations requiring a degree while non-degreed jobs shrunk.
- Crucially, the report found that too few high schoolers are pursuing the degrees needed to fill those jobs.
- A recent TechPoint analysis highlighted that the state's demand for tech industry workers is surpassing the supply of workers needed to fill those jobs.
Of note: The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has established a scholarship program designed to retain its talent by covering local high schoolers' tuition at Indiana colleges or universities.