The COVID-19 pandemic started a great migration. As people could work from home by the millions, they began to relocate, often from America’s large, expensive coastal cities to less expensive ones, often in the South. This caused an influx of people to such states as Arizona, Florida and Texas. States such as New York and California lost people, according to the Census Bureau. (See which cities attracted the most new residents last year.)
Where Did They Come From, Where Did They Go?
The United Van Lines 47th Annual National Movers Study is a major annual survey of American relocation habits. The new edition covers 2023 and is based on the moving company’s proprietary data, using information about where it moves its customers over the year. The trends it found match many of those that started during the pandemic: “We are continuing to see the trend that Americans are moving to more affordable, lower-density areas across the country, with many heading to Southern states.”
States are divided into two groups based on the number of inbound moves into the state compared to outbound moves. “High inbound” states are those where 55% of moves were inbound, while “high outbound states” are where 55% moved away from the state.
The state with the most people leaving is New Jersey, where 65% of the moves were outbound. According to the research, “The top motivation for moves out of the state was driven primarily from those looking to retire.”
Several large northern states and New York and California follow New Jersey. Those in the northern tier include Ohio, Illinois and Michigan, sometimes known as the old “industrial states,” which were once dominated by factories but lost jobs as the work was outsourced overseas.
These are the states with the most outbound moves:
- New Jersey
- Illinois
- North Dakota
- New York
- Michigan
- California
- Massachusetts
- Kansas
The states where people moved most are led by Vermont, with 65% inbound. This list also includes the southern states of South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.
These are the states with the most inbound moves:
- Vermont
- District of Columbia
- South Carolina
- Arkansas
- Rhode Island
- North Carolina
- South Dakota
- Alabama
- New Mexico
- West Virginia
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