The Impact of Taxes on Migration in New England

By Jeffrey Thompson
Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

April 2011

Download the report; the findings in brief (Vermont)

Evidence from surveys of migrating households, the existing economic literature, and new analysis using data from the Internal Revenue Service all suggest that taxes do not play any notable role in causing people to leave a state. The most important factors in influencing household migration are employment and family-related reasons.