This viral post dissing NJ has New Jerseyans upset

A recent viral post on Instagram purported to illustrate how people feel about New Jersey. And a lot of New Jerseyans were not happy about it.

An Instagram account called Xclusivainc appears to be a compilation account that gets surveys and studies from ChatGPT. Therefore, you have to take everything they say with a grain of salt. But their latest post about New Jersey got a lot of people up in arms.

The Reel began with this question: “Which state do people regret moving to the most in the us?”

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And then the audio begins to answer that question. It begins like this "Firstly, the state where people are most happy after moving is Tennessee.”

Commenters from Tennessee obviously celebrated that but everybody else was like, “WTF??”

Then the announcer continues: “But here are the top five states people regret moving to the most. At No. 5, it's California. Around 59 percent of people who move there decide to leave again. No. 4, it's Connecticut. About 60% of people who move there leave. It's not very cheap to live in this small state. At No. 3, it's New York. About 63% of movers decided to leave. The cost of living and busy lifestyle makes it hard for many to stay here. At No. 2, we’ve got Illinois. Around 67% percent of movers leave after a while here. Many people don't like the high taxes and the cold winters. And finally, at No. 1, this state tops the list with a whopping 70 percent of people leaving after moving there. It's super expensive and the bad weather doesn't help either. It's New Jersey... state people regret moving to the most in the U.S.”

Are they kidding? Expensive, yes. Bad weather? We have four seasons!
What else are they basing this survey on? Well, I wasn’t the only New Jerseyan appalled by this “information.” Jerseyans came out in droves to defend their state. Oh, and trash Tennessee! Check out some of these very “Jersey” comments.

"You couldn't pay me to live in Tennessee. #jerseygirl" - sh1ret

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"There are beaches, forests, hiking trails, a strong job market, and one of the most diverse food scenes in the country. It also experiences all four seasons, which can be nice even if winter isn't for everyone. It is right between New York City and Philadelphia, so you get big city access without having to live there. The cost of living is high, but so are the opportunities if you take advantage of them." - elysian360studio

"I love NJ, yeah he's right. Stay away so we can enjoy it alone" - mr.maverick.offcial

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"I've been living here for over 40 years and have raised both of my kids here. My daughter moved to NY, South Carolina and Miami and is back living in NJ permanently. My son won't ever leave this wonderful place. We have lots of options and things to do here. Beaches, skiing, hiking, vineyards, fantastic restaurants, not to mention great fashion choices. The best kept secret! Please don't move here. Crowded enough" - mariapanico525

Outsiders just don’t understand what we have here. Most picture us as a bunch of highways, refineries and bad smells. As Dennis pointed out, they judge us by the opening montage in “The Sopranos.” But we who live here know better.

We asked our listeners to defend New Jersey and I’m happy to report that they had even more positive comments about New Jersey. And that’s New Jersey. We know our faults. But they’re for us to complain about. Not others.