Why expats are coming back — or not
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Last week we wrote about new U.S. Census data showing more people moving to Minnesota from other states than leaving.
Driving the news: Several of our readers told us they've recently done just that, or they're about to do so.
- And a couple said they've had enough of Minnesota.
🪖 Kate C. left for the military 42 years ago. She lives in Texas and has opted only to visit her home state ... until now.
- "Watching Minnesota come together to care for and protect neighbors with such deep concern has me and my husband (a North Carolinian) placing our house on the market and checking out properties in MSP to settle back with family and friends. I am just so proud of Minneapolis, in particular! This is a community I want to participate in!"
🗽 Ross M. and his husband were two of the people who moved back to Minnesota last year after 14 years in New York City. They chose Minnesota because of a lower cost of living, less stress and proximity to family.
- "I felt pride when Minnesota passed a law to become a trans refuge state and passed free school lunches for kids. But I didn't live here then. Now that I'm here, I see why those things are why we are attacked, and I continue to see us stand up for our neighbors in tangible ways."
🏛️ Christine K. is a St. Paul native who has been living in the D.C. area since 1982. She's been contemplating a return in part due to a lower cost of living.
- "Watching what has been going on and talking to siblings who still live in the Twin Cities has been heartbreaking. If anything, what is happening in Minnesota and the Twin Cities in particular, is pushing the needle much more to moving back to Minnesota. I have never been more proud of my home state!!"
🇬🇧 Jon F. has been living and traveling all over Europe the last seven years and if he ever comes back to the U.S. it will be to Minnesota.
- "While Europe is incredible, it's still no Minnesota. You can keep your castles and cathedrals — give me lakes, cabin weekends, and a proper Midwestern goodbye that lasts 45 minutes. The people, the community, the outdoors, the sports heartbreak and loyalty … there's just no place like home."
🏖️ Sheryl R. left for Southern California in 1983 and married a California native. But now they're ready for a new adventure, in part because of the resistance to ICE here.
- "We're putting our house on the market and as soon as it sells we will be heading back! We are looking forward to visiting neighborhoods to find the right place to settle in."
The other side
👋 Al C.: "We keep our Minnesota roots by having a lake home. We would not move back to Minnesota full time though because of seven months of winter. Minnesota is not 'pro business,' which politicians are blind not to see. States grow because of job opportunities."
🏜️ Warren W. was a "loyal Minnesotan" for 50 years but finally left for Phoenix after the state didn't use its $17.5 billion surplus in 2023 to fully exempt social security income from state taxes.
- "Would we ever move back? The tax savings of $15,000 a year has helped us keep our mentally ill oldest son from being homeless ... Minnesota was an incredibly good place to work and live, but Phoenix is a pretty good place to live as well … at least for now. For the record, we are Democrat true and true, but there are times where I've felt Minnesota had become 'too woke' even for us."