Most people born in Virginia still live in the state, study says

Why it matters: The stickiest states tend to have better economic conditions, more job opportunities, lower housing costs and lower tax burdens, Dallas Fed wrote in its report.

• Virginia is right in the middle of the pack.

State of play: The states that keep the most residents, Dallas Fed learned, generally have warmer weather, which would explain the higher ranks for Arizona, Texas and the Southeastern U.S.

• But: Three of the top states are Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where the weather isn't exactly a selling point.

Worth noting: While many native-born Virginians tend to stay, the state has been losing residents for nearly a decade, Cardinal News reports.

• Virginia had 32 residents per 1,000 leave in 2021, the 9th highest rate in the U.S., compared to being the 25th for the number of native-born folks who stay put, per the Dallas Fed.

So what makes people want to leave Virginia?

We scoured the internet to find out what folks say makes Virginia a meh place to live (read: pulled from the first page of Google results). Here's what we found:

• Referring to every flowing body of water simply as "the river" even though there are more than 40 in the state — and insisting on pronouncing it "rivah."
• Excess vanity plates;
• Being terrible at driving — and not using turn signals;

• Bleak winters with no snow — until there's suddenly snow and locals freak out;
• Also, summers and the humidity;
• Plus, fall and spring allergies.

Yes, but: There are plenty of things to love about living in Virginia according to the internet, and apparently only native-born folks appreciate them, including having all four seasons, history and culture; proximity to the ocean, mountains and the nation's capital; and being a (relatively) affordable place to live.

The bottom line: Virginia may be mostly for Virginians and we're just fine with that. We'll keep the rivah all to ourselves.