“In other words, people tend to move to economically freer states.”

The Mercatus Center’s “Freedom in the Fifty States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom” showcases fascinating data, as discussed in this Washington Examiner piece.

The most interesting finding, however, is that when controlling for climate and other variables, all three dimensions of freedom are positively correlated to migration, but the results are exceptionally strong for economic (fiscal and regulatory) freedom.

In other words, people tend to move to economically freer states. One explanation is that economic freedom tends to be a fairly good indicator of prosperity.

When you allow people to pursue their dreams without smothering regulatory schemes that discourage new business and tax systems that penalize success, the economy will grow and prosper. The result is not only prosperity for the present, but the creation of legacy wealth to pass on to future generations.