Where Are People Moving? 2013 Addition

Map from United Van Lines
Map from United Van Lines

More than perhaps any other industry, trends in moving paint pictures of the nation as a whole. It can tell us which areas are economically vibrant and which ones are suffering. Every year, United Van Lines puts out a list of where people are moving to and from. How does their list compare to Ninja Movers’?

United lists Oregon as the number one destination, (meaning more people are moving to Oregon than away from it) and while the vast majority of our customers are staying right here in the Bay Area, Oregon is our top out of state destination, followed by Washington state.

Where else are people moving to? South Carolina is number two, followed by North Carolina, Washington DC, South Dakota, Nevada, Texas and Colorado, which is a newby to the list.

“Business incentives, industrial growth and relatively lower costs of living are attracting jobs and people to the Southeastern and Western states such as South Dakota, Colorado and Texas,” said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “We’re also seeing continued migration to the Pacific Northwest as young professionals and retirees are drawn to amenities including public transit, green space and the local arts and entertainment scene.”

Things aren’t looking so positive for New Jersey, the state with the highest percentage of people leaving. Number two is Illinois, followed by New York, West Virginia, Connecticut, Utah, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New Mexico.

Some states broke about even. Those include Nebraska, Tennessee, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana and Indiana. For the first time since 1997, Michigan didn’t see an exodus. Perhaps that bodes well for Detroit.