State-to-State Migration Flows

The coronavirus pandemic that struck our planet in 2020 changed the world more than we could imagine. People’s habits have changed and the economic difficulties that followed along didn’t make things any easier. That is why it was only logical to see the change in usual state-to-state migration flows and the increase in the overall number of relocations as soon the pandemic weaken its grip. And that is exactly what happened. In 2021, we saw 20% more people move than in 2020. But what about migration patterns? In the following article, Best Long Distance Movers will show you the states with the most outbound moves as well as states with the most inbound moves in 2021.

What are the reasons for the newest state-to-state migration flows?

Even though the pandemic was the main initiator for the changes we experienced regarding state-to-state migration flows and the number of relocations, when people are asked for their reasons for moving the illness itself is not among the top three reasons. The main reasons for moving in 2021 were cost of living, desire to live closer to family, and improved work flexibility. A search for employment and search for better schools conclude the list of top 5 reasons for moving in 2021.

Coronavirus-related safety is also one of the reasons, but these things come first. Nevertheless, the pandemic is the reason why the economic situation has changed and why so many people can work from home, and why people want to be closer to their families. Therefore we can safely say that most of the relocations we saw in 2021 were pandemic related.

Work-from-home availability is showing for the first time as one of the prime reasons for moving

One of the things that are new and the thing we haven’t experienced in the pre-pandemic period is the work-from-home availability, which has become one of the main driving forces when it comes to state-to-state migration flows in 2021. According to most recent data, 6 months after the pandemic started 14-23 million Americans moved because they had an opportunity to work remotely. That trend continued even in 2021 and remote work availability became one of the main reasons to move for the first time since these statistics are monitored.

People are moving out of expensive states but, strangely, most affordable states are not the most sought after

We said that cost of living is the main reason to move in 2021. Therefore, in the list of states with most outbound moves, we see mainly expensive states. On the other hand, the most affordable states are, strangely, not on the list of states with most inbound moves. So let’s take a look at how those lists look like.

Most inbound moves in 2021

• Vermont
• South Dakota
• South Carolina
• West Virginia
• Florida

Vermont

Even though it is not among the most affordable states in the country, Vermont was the most desired state in 2021. The state has a population of 624,977 with a median age of 42 and according to some of the best long distance movers in Vermont, this state is increasing that number rapidly. The median home value in Vermont is $233,200 with a homeownership rate of 71%, which is pretty high considering that the national average is 64.8%.

When it comes to median household income in Vermont it is slightly below the national average – $60,073. The best cities to live in Vermont and the cities with the highest number of newcomers are Burlington with the median home value of $401,000 Winooski with the median home value of $350,000, and Shelburne with the median home value of $390,000.

South Dakota

South Dakota is currently the second state when it comes to the number of inbound moves in the country. According to the latest data, the state had a population of 864,289 with a median age of 36, however, the best long distance moving companies in South Dakota are sure that number is much higher after the latest trends in state-to-state migration flows. The median home value in South Dakota is $185, 000, which is way below the national average. Still, this state is not among the most affordable states in the country.

The median household income is $56,499, nearly $6,000 below the national average. Nevertheless, South Dakota takes second place among the states with the most inbound moves in 2021. The places that attract the most newcomers are Eagle Butte, with the median home value of only $51,800, Brookings with the median home value of $207,000, and Spearfish with the median home value of $299,000.

South Carolina

The newest trends in State-to-state migration flows show us that South Carolina is ranked third when it comes to the number of inbound moves in 2021. According to the latest census from 2018, the state had a population of 4,955,925 with a median age of 39. Still, as best long distance moving companies in South Carolina report, the number of people living in the state is rapidly increasing. Interestingly, this state also isn’t known for affordability.

The median household income in South Carolina is only $51,015, nearly $11,000 below the national average. The median home value of $179,800, however, might be one of the reasons why this state became so popular in 2021. On the other hand, when we see that most popular places in South Carolina right now are Clemson with the median home value of $277,000, Greenville with the median home value of $315,000, and Port Royal with the median home value of $233,300 we see that this isn’t the case.

West Virginia

The fourth place on the list is reserved for West Virginia. This state currently ranks at number 17 when it comes to affordability. West Virginia has a population of 1,829,054 people with a median age of 42, at least when the last census was conducted in 2018. According to things best long distance movers in West Virginia see on the ground, this number rose significantly since then. When it comes to median household income, West Virginia doesn’t rank too well. The median income in this state is a mere $44,921.

Still, the median home value of $124,600 and other living expenses make this state very attractive for people who moved in 2021. Nevertheless, the places that are among the most attractive do not have such affordable housing. For example, Morgantown has the median home value of $204,000, Star City has the median home value of $175,000, and Shepherdstown $320,000.

Florida

The state of Florida was the fifth most popular state in 2021 when we look at state-to-state migration flows. Still, Florida is a traditionally popular destination when it comes to cross-country relocations. And this is nothing new. Greate weather, sandy beaches, fantastic nature, as well as affordability are the things that draw so many people here. In 2018, The Sunshine State had a population of 20,598,139 with a median age of 41. However, as the best long distance movers in Florida report, the number of newcomers further increased in 2021.

The median household income in Florida is traditionally lower than the national average and now is around $53,267. When it comes to real estate, the median home value in Florida is $245,100 with a homeownership rate of 67%. The most popular cities in 2021 were North Bay Village with the median home value of $360,000, Miami Beach with the median home value of $357,000, and Orlando with the median home value of $275.000.

Most outbound moves in 2021

• New Jersey
• Illinois
• New York
• Connecticut
• California

New Jersey

When we take a look at the list of states with the most outbound moves we see that New Jersey is currently number one in the country. Four years ago, this state had a population of 8,881,850 people with a median age of 39. Unfortunately, as best long distance movers in New Jersey describe, this state’s population is decreasing fast even though the median household income is $79,350.

The state of New Jersey is among the least affordable states in the country. The median home value is $350,000 with a homeownership rate of only 63%. When we take a look at where people moving from New Jersey go we see that the most popular destinations are Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Illinois

A look at the newest State-to-state migration flows shows us that Illinois was among the states with the most outbound moves in 2021. The latest census from 2018 showed that Illinois had a population of 12,821,497 people with a median age of 37. However, the best long distance moving companies in Illinois are seeing a large number of outbound moves despite the fact that this state isn’t among the most expensive to live in.

The median household income in Illinois is at the national average – $63,575. And when we consider the fact that the median home value is $209,100 it is clear that economic reasons are not crucial when it comes to moving from the Prairie State. When we take a look at where people moving from Illinois go we see that the most popular states are Florida, California, and Missouri.

New York

A state that has one of the most popular and desired cities in the world made it to the most outbound moves list as well. New York, which in 2018 had a population of 19,618,453 people with a median age of 38, is now seeing a decrease in those numbers according to the best long distance movers in New York. And considering the economic challenges our country is facing in the post-pandemic period, this isn’t a surprise.

The state of New York is the third most expensive state in the country. The median home value in New York is $338,700 with one of the lowest homeownership rates in the country of only 53%. Still, the median household income is slightly above the national average level – $65,323. When we take a look at where people moving from New York go we see that the most popular states are Florida, New Jersey, and California.

Connecticut

Connecticut also made it to the list of states that people are leaving in great numbers. This time it is clear that high living costs are the biggest reason why the population numbers in Connecticut are decreasing. In 2018, this state had a population of 3,581,504 with a median age of 40. Unfortunately, according to best long distance movers in Connecticut, this number is decreasing. Especially since 2021.

The median household income of $76,106 is obviously not enough to stop the outflow of people even though the median home value is $280,700.When we look at where those people leaving Connecticut moved, we see states like Florida, New York, and Massachusetts.

California

A final look at the newest state-to-state migration flows shows us that living costs do have a bung influence when it comes to moving. For years, California has been known as one of the most expensive states in the country. This fact obviously means more in today’s world. In 2018 California had a population of 39,148,460 people with a median age of 36. However, according to some of the best long distance movers in California, many people left the state in 2021 despite the high median income of $71,228.

The median home value of $568,500 is one of the things that make living here a great challenge. Unfortunately, other expenses are pretty high as well. But where do people moving from California go? We see that they mostly move to Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.

Pandemic changed a lot

Those are the newest state-to-state migration flows. As you can see, things changed a lot since the pandemic. More people move and the routes have changed. Still, the financial situation stays the number one motivator as it was before the pandemic.