Americans moving across state borders last year were largely propelled by lifestyle motives and were drawn to cheaper and less densely packed locations, according to one of the nation’s top moving companies.
(Bloomberg) — Americans moving across state borders last year were largely propelled by lifestyle motives and were drawn to cheaper and less densely packed locations, according to one of the nation’s top moving companies.
The 46th annual study by United Van Lines showed that lifestyle changes such as retirement and wanting to be closer to family members drove interstate moves, along with career shifts.
The survey found that Americans are now moving from bigger to smaller cities, with an atypical increase of migration to the Northeast. Measured by the share of cross-border moves accounted for by people arriving rather than departing, Vermont was the most popular go-to state in 2022, for the second year running.
Oregon followed as a top inbound state while the biggest outbound states for 2022 were New Jersey, Illinois and New York.
“Americans are moving from expensive cities to lower-density, more affordable regions,” said Eily Cummings, vice president of corporate communications at United Van Lines.
Job transfers have decreased as a motive to move, thanks to gains in the ability to work remotely. One-in-five interstate moves last year were due to retirement, the study found.
Washington, DC, was one of the top 10 locations seeing a bias toward inbound moves rather than an outflow. Mayor Muriel Bowser has made a new push to move 100,000 new residents into the city. In her inauguration speech for her third term, she called on President Joe Biden to either end work-from-home telework policies for federal government employees or turn over vacant government buildings in the nation’s capital for housing.
Meantime, lifestyle changes influenced by the pandemic — such as the desire to be closer to family — drove half of all moves in Midwestern states such as Kansas and Nebraska.
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