Since Tim Walz became governor, Minnesota has faced an exodus of residents fleeing the state, taking nearly $5 billion of household income with them, according to data reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.
On net, nearly 46,000 Minnesotans left between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023, according to the most recently available Census data, with many fleeing Walz’s major tax increases for the income tax-free states of Florida and Texas. The Land of 10,000 Lakes lost more than 19,000 in 2022 alone, the biggest drop in at least 30 years.
It's not clear what led to the exodus, but in addition to tax surges, spending increases, and other progressive initiatives, Minnesota, under Walz's watch, has faced a spike in violent crime and a drop in academic achievement. The downward domestic migration trend became apparent soon after Walz—who was recently tapped as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate—became governor.
In 2018, Minnesota saw a net influx of nearly 6,800 residents from other states, Census data show. But when Walz took office the next year, that number dropped to a measly 65.
The Harris campaign is leaning on Walz to "fire up Wisconsin progressives who wish their state was just a little more like his," the New York Times reported. Under Walz's leadership, however, nearly 41,500 Minnesotans have fled the state for its eastern neighbor, according to IRS migration data. By comparison, 33,500 Wisconsinites moved to Minnesota during the same timeframe.
After the Badger State, Florida, Texas, and North Dakota were the top destinations for fleeing Minnesotans. California was the fifth most popular, though the liberal bastion has faced an exodus of its own.
As governor, Walz has overseen tax increases on income, sales, and gasoline, among others, while funding progressive programs like free college for students with a family income below $80,000. Yet billions of dollars left the state with fleeing residents.
In 2022, for example, Minnesota lost a net $2.2 billion in household income compared to the year prior, according to the most recently available IRS data. The state lost $1.6 billion and $1.2 billion in the two preceding years.
And while Minnesota’s total population did rise during Walz’s first term, the increase slowed compared to the preceding years and dropped slightly below the nation’s growth rate. Similarly, the state’s per capita GDP dropped below the United States’ in 2023, the first time in recorded history.
Minnesotans have faced other struggles as well, such as in education and crime.
Like many school systems following the COVID pandemic, academic achievement plummeted in the state, with fourth grade reading and eighth grade math proficiency scores dropping to 30-year lows in 2022. As Minnesota faced the crisis, after a four-year process, the state Department of Education in January adopted radical K-12 social studies standards that involve teaching students about Palestinians’ fight for "liberation" against the oppressive "colonizer" state of Israel.
Spending per student, meanwhile, skyrocketed between 2020 and 2023, marking its greatest increase in a decade, according to the Center of the American Experiment, a Minnesota-focused think tank.
Violent crime remained above pre-pandemic levels as of 2022, according to the most recent Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension data. Murders were up 75 percent and aggravated assaults 55 percent compared to 2019, though rape showed a slight decrease, and robberies were trending down.
Minnesota was also ground zero for the 2020 anti-police riots, with a mob burning down a Minneapolis police precinct following the death of George Floyd in the City of Lakes. Walz has faced criticism for delaying the National Guard’s deployment.
The governor did not respond to a request for comment.
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