Two of the nation’s leading moving companies have published their annual respective surveys of inbound and outbound migration trends.
United Van Lines released its 47th Annual National Movers Study, which tracks state-to-state relocation patterns by customers using the company’s services. According to the results of the study, more residents moved to Vermont for the third consecutive year than any other state, with 65% of moves being inbound. Of moves to Vermont, moving to be closer to family (29%) led the reason for relocating to the state, followed by a lifestyle change (20%).
However, for the sixth consecutive year, the study found more residents moved out of New Jersey than any other state, as 65% of New Jersey moves were outbound. The top motivation for moves out of the state was driven primarily from those looking to retire (27%).
In the Southeast, several states continued to increase in popularity with a high percentage of inbound moves, including South Carolina (63%), North Carolina (60%) Alabama (60%) and Arkansas (60%).
On the flip side, an outbound moving trend continued in the Midwest and West with Illinois (61%), North Dakora (61%), Michigan (58%), California (58%) and Kansas (55%) included among the top states with a high percentage of outbound moves in 2023.
“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,” United Van Lines Vice President of Corporate Communications Eily Cummings said. “Movers are also becoming more strategic with their planning, as relocation continues to be driven by factors such as the price of housing, regional climates, urban planning and job growth.”
Separately, U-Haul reported Texas attracted the largest number of state-to-state movers using the company’s equipment in 2023. This is the third consecutive year and the sixth time in the eight years that the Lone Star State has led the nation for inbound migration.
Florida ranked behind Texas among growth states – also for the third year in a row – followed by North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
For the fourth year in a row, California reflected the largest net loss of one-way movers. The other bottom-five states for growth were Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois and Massachusetts
“While one-way transactions in 2023 remained below the record-breaking levels we witnessed immediately following the pandemic, we continued to see many of the same geographical trends from U-Haul customers moving between states,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president. “Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced. Demand for one-way equipment out of certain markets in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast mirrors what we have seen during recent moving cycles.”
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