Most people leaving Boston do not go far. Florida and New Hampshire lead the list, taking around 21,000 and 20,000 net Massachusetts residents in the twelve months ending July 1, 2025, followed by New York, California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Massachusetts lost more than 30,000 net residents to other states over that period. Strip out Florida and California and the pattern is clearly regional: people are leaving the city, not New England.
The reasons are consistent and unsurprising. Housing costs, state taxes, and the general expense of living in the second most expensive state in the country. What is more interesting is who leaves. Departures skew younger and higher-earning than the population that stays, which is a different picture from the retiree-to-Florida story people expect. A 29-year-old moving to Nashua for a mortgage they can actually carry is the more typical case.
Stark Moving and Storage handles both sides of this. We move people out of Boston and into New Hampshire and Rhode Island regularly, which are two of the top three destinations. Here is where people actually go, why, and what each move costs and involves.
The Top Destinations
| Destination | Net residents gained from MA | Main draw |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | About 21,000 | No income tax, climate, retirement |
| New Hampshire | About 20,000 | No income or sales tax, commutable |
| New York | About 18,000 | Career moves, NYC |
| California | About 16,000 | Tech and industry relocation |
| Connecticut | About 11,500 | Cheaper housing, still Northeast |
| Rhode Island | About 11,500 | Coastal, far cheaper, close |
Those are figures for the year ending July 1, 2025. The Census data behind them shows a state that keeps growing overall through international arrivals while losing domestic residents steadily.
New Hampshire Is the Quiet Favorite
If one destination defines Boston outmigration, it is New Hampshire.
The draw is simple arithmetic. No state income tax on wages. No sales tax. Property taxes are high, but for a household earning well the total tax picture is still better. And southern New Hampshire is close enough that many people keep their Boston jobs.
The Manchester-Nashua metro shows up as a top destination in U-Haul’s migration data for Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials alike. That cross-generational consistency is unusual. Most destinations attract one age group.
What the Commute Actually Looks Like
- Nashua to Boston: roughly 40 miles, 50 to 90 minutes depending on the hour
- Manchester to Boston: roughly 55 miles, over an hour on a good day
- Salem NH to Boston: roughly 30 miles, the shortest of the common options
- The Downeaster train and Boston Express buses serve parts of the corridor
The honest version is that I-93 southbound in the morning is unpleasant and gets worse the further north you start. People who make this work usually have hybrid schedules or jobs north of the city.
Tip: Before committing to a New Hampshire move for tax reasons, check how Massachusetts treats your income if you still work here. Wages earned in Massachusetts are generally taxable by Massachusetts regardless of where you sleep. The savings are real for remote workers and much smaller for commuters.
Rhode Island for the Coast and the Price
Rhode Island pulls around 11,500 net residents from Massachusetts a year, and it shows up across every age group in U-Haul’s data, from Gen Z to Boomers. Providence is the anchor.
Housing is dramatically cheaper than Boston. Providence has a genuine downtown, a strong food scene, and the Amtrak and MBTA commuter rail connection puts Boston within reach for occasional trips, if not a daily commute. The state does tax income, so the appeal is cost of living rather than tax structure.
Warwick, Pawtucket, and Cranston get a steady flow as well, generally from people who want a house and a yard within an hour of where they used to live.
Florida Still Takes the Most
Around 21,000 net residents, the single largest destination.
The pull factors are familiar: no state income tax, no estate tax, warm winters. Florida is the top out-of-state destination for Massachusetts Boomers in U-Haul’s numbers, with Miami as the leading metro, and it appears for Gen X as well. It largely drops out for Millennials and Gen Z.
What people underestimate is the cost side. Florida home insurance has risen sharply, and in coastal counties it can erase a good portion of the income tax savings. Run the full number, not just the tax line.
Moving Boston to Florida
- Roughly 1,200 to 1,500 miles depending on destination
- Interstate pricing is based on weight and distance, not hours
- Expect a delivery window rather than a delivery date
- Book eight to twelve weeks out, more in summer
- Get an in-home or video survey, not a phone estimate
Our guide to long distance moving covers how interstate pricing and delivery windows work.
New York and the Career Move
New York takes roughly 18,000 net Massachusetts residents and is the top destination for both Millennials and Gen Z in U-Haul’s generational migration data. For younger movers it is usually about work: finance, media, law, and the simple pull of a larger market.
It is not a cost move. New York City is as expensive as Boston or more. People go for opportunity, and the move tends to be smaller in volume, since apartment-to-apartment relocations move less furniture. Our guide to the New York route covers it in the other direction, and much of it applies either way.
Who Is Actually Leaving
This is the part that gets overlooked. The people leaving Massachusetts for other states are, on average, younger than the state’s median and earn above the state average.
That runs against the assumption that outmigration is retirees chasing warm weather. Retirees are part of it, and the Boomer destination list makes that clear. But the larger share is working-age households who looked at Boston’s housing market and decided the math did not work.
Massachusetts did not appear in the top ten net-gain states for any age group in U-Haul’s data. It gains population overall through international immigration, not domestic movement.
The Regional Move Is the Common One
Strip out Florida and California and the list is New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine. Worcester, Springfield, and Providence all show up as destination metros in the U-Haul data.
That is the real story. Most people leaving Boston are not leaving New England. They are trading a small expensive apartment for a house within a two-hour drive, and they keep their jobs, their friends, and their Patriots season tickets.
Tip: If you are moving somewhere within about 100 miles, you are likely still on hourly pricing rather than weight-and-distance. That changes the math considerably, and it means the efficiency of your packing directly affects your bill.
What These Moves Cost
| Move | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Boston to southern NH | $1,200 to $2,800 |
| Boston to Providence RI | $1,100 to $2,600 |
| Boston to Connecticut | $1,800 to $4,000 |
| Boston to New York City | $2,300 to $5,000 |
| Boston to Florida | $3,500 to $8,500 |
Ranges depend heavily on home size, access at both ends, and whether you use packing services. Local Massachusetts moves average around $1,453 total, and Boston movers charge roughly 15 percent less than the national average, partly because Boston homes average about 1,830 square feet, some 14 percent smaller than typical. Our breakdown of Boston moving costs goes through the variables.
Before You Decide
A few things worth checking before you commit:
- Run the full cost picture, not just income tax. Property tax, insurance, utilities, and car costs all shift.
- Test the commute at the actual hour you would drive it, on a weekday.
- Check state residency rules. Massachusetts has specific domicile tests, and part-year filing is common in the first year.
- Visit in the bad season. New Hampshire in February and Florida in August are the honest versions.
- Look at total housing cost, including what a longer commute costs in vehicle expense and time.
Our look at Boston’s cost of living is a useful baseline for comparison, and the taxes in Boston overview covers what you would be leaving behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do most people moving out of Boston go?
New Hampshire and Florida lead, each drawing around 20,000 net Massachusetts residents a year, followed by New York, California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Why are people leaving Massachusetts?
Housing costs, state taxes, and overall cost of living. Massachusetts is the second most expensive state in the country, and departing residents skew younger and higher-earning.
Is moving to New Hampshire actually cheaper?
For remote workers, usually yes, since New Hampshire has no income or sales tax. For people still working in Massachusetts, the savings are smaller, because Massachusetts generally taxes wages earned here.
How much does it cost to move from Boston to Florida?
Typically $3,500 to $8,500 depending on home size and access. Interstate moves are priced by weight and distance, so an accurate survey matters more than it does locally.
How far in advance should I book a move out of state?
Eight to twelve weeks, and twelve during the summer. Interstate carriers consolidate shipments, so earlier booking gives you a tighter delivery window.
Is Massachusetts losing population overall?
No. The state continues to grow through international immigration while losing residents to other states, so total population rises even as domestic outmigration continues.
Planning Your Move Out of Boston
Stark Moving and Storage serves Boston and nineteen Massachusetts cities, along with New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Illinois, and Washington DC. Two of the most common destinations for people leaving Boston are places we already work every week.
Our Boston Movers handle local and long-distance moves, packing and unpacking, storage, crating, piano and fine art transport, and commercial relocations. We are BBB accredited and built on honesty, transparency, and efficiency. Call (800) 654-7575 to talk through your route.