May
07

Making Moves: The Top 10 States People Moved to in 2020

As life changes from year to year, there are always people relocating, shifting from one state to another as they uproot their life for work, love, and life.

There is no doubt that 2020 brought about a lot of unexpected changes for many people, and those changes may have affected where people moved. Taking a closer look at the top 10 states people moved to last year in the US shows patterns of movement, possible reasons why they moved, and more about the state of relocating.

Where were people moving in 2020? Let us find out and compare to 2019 to see if any major shifts in moving patterns can be found.

Why People Moved In 2020

In surveys of people that moved in 2020, several core reasons for moving were identified.

One of the most common reasons for moving in 2020 was for job opportunities or to relocate for their company. Forty percent of movers surveyed were moving for work; this is down from previous years.

On the other hand, a massive number of people attributed the COVID-19 pandemic as an influencing factor in why they decided to move. Those looking to be closer to family or moving so that their family was in a safer position were common. Additionally, many people moved to take advantage of their ability to work remotely and improve their overall quality of life throughout the pandemic.

Top 10 States People Moved to Last Year

United Van Lines does a yearly survey of where people move to and where they move from to keep track of migration patterns within the US. Data from 2020 shows that people moved to these ten states more than any other:

1. Idaho
2. South Carolina
3. Oregon
4. South Dakota
5. Arizona
6. North Carolina
7. Tennessee
8. Alabama
9. Florida
10. Arkansas

While Idaho took the top spot for the second year in the row, Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas were not on the top 10 list in 2019.

Why People Went to Specific States

One interesting facet of moving trends is that many people move to new states for similar reasons. When it comes to reasons like retirement, lifestyle changes, and job opportunities, there are certain states that are selected most often.

Retirement: Movers relocating as they retire were more likely to move to Montana or Delaware than other states; next up on the list were Florida and South Carolina.

Family: The highest percent of movers ready to be closer to their loved ones were moving to Minnesota.

Lifestyle: Those looking to change their lifestyle frequently moved to Wyoming.

Jobs: Job transferees were moving to Nebraska more than any other state.

Affordability: Those looking to save money as they moved were choosing Idaho most frequently.

The trends of which states people are choosing for their future home are interesting to analyze in more detail. Keep in mind that this data is gathered from the most used household moving company in the country, but that does not necessarily mean it is an accurate reflection of the entire population.

Comparing the Yearly Trends

Just as in previous years, movers in 2020 were largely moving to western and southern states. This trend has been ongoing for a few years, and it continues to persist.

Likewise, people continue to leave states that have huge metropolitan areas, such as New York, California, New Jersey, and Illinois in favor of growing cities in states like Arizona. This trend exists in 2019, and the pandemic did nothing more than accelerate the same trend away from crowded metropolitan areas in 2020.

It has been clear for a number of years that heading out of the Northeast and into other areas is common as changing weather patterns and job opportunities lead to better living conditions being elsewhere.

Though the northeast is likely to remain a hub of certain industries, lifestyle choices, jobs, and family situations will continue to lead people into the south and west. Four of the top five states people moved to in 2020 are in the western US, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a similar statistic at the end of 2021!

Though large-scale events like the COVID-19 pandemic can cause changes in how people decide to move, such situations tend to accelerate trends that already exist rather than creating new ones altogether.

Choosing Your Future Home

As you consider moving to new areas of the country for work, retirement, or simply to make a change in your life, it might become overwhelming trying to choose the best place for you to live.

Ask yourself some questions about where you would like to live to begin narrowing down where you are most likely to find a comfortable, new home:

Weather: Is there a particular type of climate that you would want to or not want to live in? Many people base their moves largely on climate, such as not wanting to live somewhere that it snows.

Living expenses: While many of the states that most people have moved to in 2020 are still quite affordable, some have seen rapid rises in living expenses. It’s important to do some basic budget calculations to find out where will be an affordable area for you to live.

Distance: How far are you willing to need to travel to get to what’s most important to you, such as shopping, family members’ homes, and your job? If your family is scattered around the country, finding a way to be centrally located or near an airport can be an important consideration while moving.

Moving Solutions for Every Move

Whether you are relocating within your current state or heading across the country, it can be hard to manage a large move when you have too much stuff! Rather than living among piles of boxes as you find the right home and settle in, using the right storage solutions is a much better option.

Self-storage allows you to have hands on control of excess belongings that need to be stored. Whether you are moving, considering a move, or just trying to declutter your home, think about how smart and simple storage solutions might simplify your life.