One in three Massachusetts residents tell Suffolk University pollsters they’ve considered moving out of the Bay State due to the high cost of living.
And according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the No. 1 destination for Massachusetts residents making a move is New Hampshire.
The question is whether this northward migration from high-tax, deep-blue Massachusetts is good news for the Granite State — or will it “Mass Up” New Hampshire?
Suffolk University poll taken in November 2025.
And it’s not just Bay State residents. Businesses are bailing, too.
“This year, two major employers, Analogic and SynQor, announced that they are moving their corporate headquarters from Massachusetts to Salem, New Hampshire,” GOP state Rep. Joe Sweeney, who represents Salem in the House, gleefully announced on social media last week.
“Some people call that luck. It is not luck. It is the predictable result of years of smart policy, disciplined leadership, and a clear belief in free-market principles.”
The Suffolk University poll was taken in November.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte used the “Don’t Mass Up” catch phrase to deliver a nine-point beatdown to Democrat Joyce Craig last year, even as Vice President Kamala Harris carried New Hampshire and Democrats swept the federal races. Concerns about Massachusetts expats bringing the state’s far-left politics to the Granite State are commonly heard from Republicans.
The Massachusetts vs. New Hampshire math is undeniable:
- The average house price in Massachusetts is about $100,000 higher than in New Hampshire.
- Massachusetts has the 13th-highest per capita tax burden in the U.S., while New Hampshire has the third-lowest.
- Electricity costs more per kilowatt-hour in Massachusetts, and New Hampshire is the only New England state where gas is averaging less than $3 per gallon.
Is it any wonder that 32 percent of Massachusetts residents have considered moving?
According to multiple reports released in late 2024 and early 2025, Massachusetts consistently ranks among the top five states in the U.S. for outbound migration, signaling a persistent exodus driven by high costs and shifting lifestyle priorities.
The 2024 U-Haul Growth Index paints a stark picture, ranking Massachusetts 49th out of 50 states for growth — a metric that identifies the state as having the second-highest net loss of one-way movers in the country, trailing only California. The same is true in the 2024 National Movers Study from United Van Lines, which found that nearly 58 percent of all moves involving Massachusetts were outbound, ranking it No. 5 for resident flight.
And a disproportionate number are crossing their northern state line.
According to one study, 23,605 people from Massachusetts moved to New Hampshire in 2022, making it the No. 1 state of origin for new Granite State residents.
Just as concerning for Bay State officials is the profile of those leaving. IRS data and moving surveys indicate a “wealth flight,” with high-income earners — specifically those making over $200,000 annually — and young professionals ages 26 to 44 making up a large share of the departures.
With the state repealing its tax on interest and dividends just across the line in New Hampshire, the competitive gap between Massachusetts and its neighbor continues to widen, leaving policymakers to grapple with how to retain a workforce that increasingly finds it can afford a better quality of life elsewhere.
But will the New Hampshire GOP grapple with these new residents from the land of Maura Healey and Michelle Wu?
“If they’re smart enough to leave Massachusetts, I’m not worried,” said Sweeney.
“People born in New Hampshire are lucky. People who move here are smart. As long as they realize the error of their ways, they are welcome to New Hampshire. If they want to keep voting for Democrats, they can move to Vermont.”
Paul Craney, a spokesman for the free-market Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, echoed that view.
“The taxpayers leaving Massachusetts for New Hampshire will fit in nicely with the no-tax culture. For the taxpayers that are left stranded in Massachusetts, we will continue to advocate for their interests.”
Some Republicans believe that voters fleeing “Taxachusetts” are more likely to vote GOP. They point to deep-red border towns like Salem, and reporting from the early 2000s that Massachusetts migrants trended Republican.
However, a 2024 UNH survey found that Massachusetts migrants tilted slightly to the left, which may be a reflection of the impact of the Trump presidency on the GOP brand in New England.
“It doesn’t surprise me that so many Bay Staters are looking to flee,” said Greg Moore with Americans for Prosperity and a longtime player in New Hampshire politics. “With huge tax bills and bad policies that make that state unaffordable, as well as nanny-state interference, who wouldn’t want to leave?
“While many folks in Massachusetts yearn to leave, the smart ones have already moved to the Granite State and are thrilled to be here. For those who are thinking about it, just remember why you want to get out of there and don’t bring those policies here. We don’t want them.”
