Around 13% of Americans moved every year before the pandemic hit. Since then, 22% have moved in response to COVID—or they know someone who did.
And where are they moving to? According to U-Haul’s mover migration studies, more people moved to the Southeast and Southwest than anywhere else—with Texas and Florida at the top of the list.
The year 2022 brought a slowdown in state-to-state moves, but the most popular states still see more people moving in than out.
STATES WITH THE HIGHEST INBOUND TRAFFIC —ACCORDING TO U-HAUL
According to U-Haul’s latest growth index report, Texas and Florida were the top two migration destinations for one-way customers in 2022—for the second consecutive year.
Coming in at numbers three and four on the list are the Carolinas, with Virginia taking the number five spot.
Meanwhile, movers continue to leave areas on the West Coast and in the Northeast and Midwest, with California, Illinois, and New York at the bottom of the growth index for the third consecutive year.
TOP INBOUND AND OUTBOUND STATES PER NORTH AMERICAN MOVING SERVICES
Aside from a few differences in the numbers for inbound and outbound movement, North American Moving Service showed the same general trend—with more Americans moving to relatively affordable areas in the Southeast and Southwest and leaving expensive markets on the West Coast and in the Northeast and Midwest.
Top inbound states for 2022:
- South Carolina: 66% (inbound)
- North Carolina: 64%
- Tennessee: 64%
- Arizona: 57%
- Florida: 55%
Top outbound states:
- Illinois: 65% (outbound)
- California: 63%
- New Jersey: 62%
- Pennsylvania: 60%
- Michigan: 59%
New York also had a 59% outbound rate, but unlike with U-Haul, it didn’t make the top five.
DENSELY-POPULATED, EXPENSIVE URBAN AREAS ARE LOSING PEOPLE
Highly-populated and pricey metro areas in California, New Jersey, and Illinois all saw more people leaving in 2022 than coming in.
A key factor in the migration away from these areas is the increase in remote work. Remote workers have the flexibility to live where they want, and more are choosing smaller cities with more affordable housing markets and proximity to nature.
These cities are also drawing more Americans looking to retire. Whether in the balmy southern states or the mountain west, areas with more affordable housing and better access to wide-open spaces are swelling with newcomers.
MOST POPULAR STATES AS OF Q3 2022...
Jan 11, 2023
