MASS EXIT: Residents FLEEING State!

Two people carrying cardboard boxes indoors.

Every giant billboard now looming over New York and New Jersey is more than just a sign—it’s a warning shot, declaring that high taxes and failing policies are driving Americans out of the Northeast in droves and straight into the open arms of Florida and Texas.

Story Snapshot

Billboards accuse New York and New Jersey of losing residents to lower-tax states like Florida and Texas.
Campaign leverages IRS and Census data to spotlight a decade-long migration trend, accelerated by pandemic-era policies.
Advocacy group Unleash Prosperity seeks to force a public reckoning on the costs of high-tax, high-regulation governance.
Exodus threatens to upend local economies, shift political power, and ignite new policy debates nationwide.

Billboards as Blunt Instruments: A Public Reckoning on Policy Failure

On October 23, 2025, commuters in New York and New Jersey were confronted by massive, provocative billboards proclaiming: “Gone to Florida and Texas.” Far from subtle, these signs are the centerpiece of a campaign by Unleash Prosperity, led by former Trump economic advisor Steve Moore. Their aim is not just attention—it’s to make an accusation in plain sight. The message: policies in these blue states are so toxic that their own citizens are voting with their feet, seeking refuge in lower-tax, business-friendly red states. The campaign’s timing, public visibility, and reliance on government migration data make it a case study in using spectacle to force uncomfortable truths into the mainstream.

The billboards don’t stop at slogans. They are backed by interactive maps, IRS reports, and Census figures—a mountain of data showing that New York and New Jersey have hemorrhaged both people and wealth for years. The message lands hardest in a year when local budgets are straining and policymakers face mounting pressure to explain why their best and brightest are decamping to places that promise lower taxes, less crime, and better schools.

The Migration Wave That Won’t Crest: Decade-Long Trends Accelerate

IRS and Census data paint a stark picture: the migration out of high-tax states is no short-term fluke. Over the past decade, hundreds of thousands have left New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois for states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona. The COVID-19 pandemic lit a fire under this trend, as lockdowns and the rise of remote work made it easier than ever for people and businesses to relocate. High-profile corporate moves—from Wall Street to Silicon Valley—have only amplified the signal: the Northeast’s formula of high taxes, heavy regulation, and surging crime is no longer sustainable for many.

Florida and Texas, meanwhile, have become magnets not just for retirees but for young families, entrepreneurs, and Fortune 500 companies. Their selling points: no state income tax, lower cost of living, and a reputation for better governance. The billboard campaign is just the latest flare in a cultural and economic battle for the future of American cities and states.

"'Gone to Florida and Texas': New billboards slam NY, NJ over massive resident flight to red states" – Fox News #SmartNews https://t.co/BerIwB6Z98

— BJ Rodrigue (@rodrigue_bj) October 23, 2025

Stakeholders in a High-Stakes Exodus: Who Wins, Who Loses?

Unleash Prosperity is betting that public embarrassment will force blue-state leaders to confront the policy roots of their exodus. But the migration story is more than a political blame game. Residents who stay behind face shrinking tax bases and the specter of reduced services. Those who leave often find economic opportunity, but may also import the very preferences that led them to flee—raising questions about whether destination states can preserve their own advantages. State governments are locked in a zero-sum contest: every family or business that leaves New York is a win for Florida or Texas, and vice versa. Real estate developers and local business leaders are watching closely, knowing that migration patterns today will shape economic prospects for years to come.

Public debate remains fierce. Some argue the exodus is driven mainly by taxes and regulation, while others point to cost of living, education quality, and even ideological divides. What’s clear is that the billboard campaign has forced migration—and the policies driving it—into the political spotlight, setting up a test of whether public shaming can drive real change.

Fallout and Foreshadowing: What’s Next as the Exodus Continues?

If the short-term impact is a spike in public debate and political finger-pointing, the long-term stakes are far more serious. As blue states lose population and revenue, they face the risk of spiraling decline: fewer taxpayers mean higher per-capita costs for those who remain, and the loss of congressional representation threatens to erode political influence on the national stage. Red states, for their part, must manage the pressures of rapid growth, from housing shortages to infrastructure demands. The billboard campaign has opened a new front in an old war—a struggle over not just where Americans live, but what kind of country they want to build.

Expert voices like Steve Moore and real estate executive Don Peebles warn that unless blue states reform, the outflow will continue—draining not just money, but the diversity and dynamism that once made cities like New York the envy of the world. The billboard is not just a sign of what’s happening, but a harbinger of what may come if the message goes unheeded. As policymakers debate, the moving trucks keep rolling—and the billboards remain, silent but unmistakable, on the highways out of town.