New population report.

[Hiruko]

How are Illinois and Chicago becoming "more Northeastern" by supposedly being 'better educated' and 'higher income'? Minnesota almost always ranks more favorably than Illinois by these metrics and nobody is going to claim that Minnesota is "more Northeastern."

[GraniteStater]

The only item that is becoming more aligned with the Northeast is rapidly aging population that both have in common.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by James Bond 007

Illinois is rapidly becoming more like a Northeastern state (plus corn fields). Think Connecticut, or Massachusetts: High income, high tax, high education levels, stable population, heavily white collar with some high-value-added manufacturing. And lots of cold and snow.

It's like a Rust Belt Vermont, LOL!! I see everyone's getting all offended, but it's pretty much true. I've been saying this for quite some time. About six years to be exact...

https://www.city-data.com/forum/illi...l-so-high.html

It's clear as day, though an increasing trend throughout the country where states are becoming more polarized. I do think a lot of Red States are ultimately going to become more purple, if not blue, due to economic migration (e.g. TN, FL, TX, etc.).

[wjj]

Originally Posted by BRU67

I do think a lot of Red States are ultimately going to become more purple, if not blue, due to economic migration (e.g. TN, FL, TX, etc.).

I don't think that will be true of Florida as has been proven by recent elections. I split my time year round between Buffalo Grove and South Fort Myers and without a doubt, the economic migrants coming to Florida are overwhelmingly conservative - even very conservative - and are not about to start voting blue after voting red all their lives - me included. All the statewide offices are now held by Republicans, both US senators are Republican, and 20 of 28 US representatives are Republican. Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by a significant and increasing margin. That all happened in the last five years. Look at the governor elections. DeSantis barely squeaked by in 2018 by less than a percentage point but won in a landslide in 2022 by almost 20 points against a former moderate governor.

You always hear the urban legend that the refugees from the blue stats will bring far left voting preferences to red states. But those refugees are fleeing the hopeless blue states due to progressive policies they cannot change at the ballot box and are not about to start destroying the state they fled to by voting blue. Florida went from leans red to solidly red in the last five years, in large part to conservatives who felt homeless in their progressive state where their votes meant nothing relocating to Florida. Florida has experienced the greatest amount of in-migration of any state in the last five years and it is definitely not starting to trend purple or blue. Just the opposite.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by wjj

I don't think that will be true of Florida as has been proven by recent elections. I split my time year round between Buffalo Grove and South Fort Myers and without a doubt, the economic migrants coming to Florida are overwhelmingly conservative - even very conservative - and are not about to start voting blue after voting red all their lives - me included. All the statewide offices are now held by Republicans, both US senators are Republican, and 20 of 28 US representatives are Republican. Registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by a significant and increasing margin. That all happened in the last five years. Look at the governor elections. DeSantis barely squeaked by in 2018 by less than a percentage point but won in a landslide in 2022 by almost 20 points against a former moderate governor.

You always hear the urban legend that the refugees from the blue stats will bring far left voting preferences to red states. But those refugees are fleeing the hopeless blue states due to progressive policies they cannot change at the ballot box and are not about to start destroying the state they fled to by voting blue. Florida went from leans red to solidly red in the last five years, in large part to conservatives who felt homeless in their progressive state where their votes meant nothing relocating to Florida. Florida has experienced the greatest amount of in-migration of any state in the last five years and it is definitely not starting to trend purple or blue. Just the opposite.

Oh, I totally agree that one who has historically voted red will not switch to blue, especially if they're leaving a state and blame Democrats for high taxes, crime, or what have you. In these polarized times, that's a highly unlikely switch indeed!

The issue comes when a migration creates or responds with a lot of jobs which bring in a brainy, young, college-educated workforce (tech and so on). Austin and Nashville, we're talking about you, LOL! They will - on the whole of course not everyone - vote not only blue, but radically left if they can. We just saw this in April in Chicago.

Is that enough to turn a whole state? Well, it ultimately did in IL, and we will see if it happen elsewhere. I predict yes but time will tell. Politics can shift.