Americans are increasingly moving to red, Republican-leaning states – where life is cheaper, but people also die younger

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Robert Samuels, University of California, Santa Barbara

(THE CONVERSATION) The United States is an increasingly polarized country when it comes to politics – but one thing that almost all people want is to live a long, healthy life.

More and more Americans are moving from Democratic-leaning blue states to Republican-voting red ones, and one of the effects of this change is that they are relocating to places with lower life expectancy.

Idaho, Montana and Florida, all red states, had the greatest population growth among U.S. states between 2020 and 2022. Meanwhile, New York and Illinois, both blue states, and Louisiana, a red state, suffered the biggest population losses. California, another blue state, has experienced significant recent population loss as well.

One key reason for this migration is the high cost of living...