Here are the states Americans are moving to — and the states they are ditching (2024)

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Here are the states Americans are moving to — and the states they are ditching? ›

Where Americans are moving. In 2022, hundreds of thousands of people moved to Florida, Texas, North Carolina and other Southern and Western states. But some states, including California and New York, lost residents. Net migration by population change.

Americans are leaving the Northeast and heading to the South. Florida is the most popular destination for cross-country movers. Californians are headed to Arizona and Texas.

Top states residents are leaving

The annual 2022 United Van Lines National Movers study is out! But it wasn't good news for New Jersey or New York. A similar report from United Van Lines showed New Jersey as the top outbound state, followed by Illinois, New York, Michigan, and Wyoming.

Based on migration data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans are moving to Austin, Texas; Raleigh, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona. The most moved-to cities are based on percentage increases in population since 2010.

The other reasons that people leave the state after moving here are varied: “A nearly 14,000-member Facebook group for people moving out of Florida has cited severe weather, low wages, crowded beaches, changing politics, and steep housing prices as reasons people left.”

Of those leaving the state, 'family' was the top reason (35 percent), followed by 'job' (29 percent), and 'retirement' (21 percent). Meanwhile, of those moving to the state, 'job' was the top reason (32 percent), followed by 'family' (31 percent), and 'lifestyle' (23 percent).

What is the #1 city to move to in the US? ›

Here's how editors said the magazine determined its picks: Analyzing the 150 most populous metropolitan areas and evaluating several factors including job prospects, affordability, growth and quality of life. Topping the 2023-24 list: Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Top Reasons to Move to Florida

The Sunshine State is known for its warm weather and sunny days, which can be attractive to those looking to escape colder climates. Florida is a popular destination for retirees due to its warm climate, low taxes, and affordable cost of living.

Florida is the fastest-growing state in America for the first time since 1957, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The population in the southeastern state, which is known for its warm weather and sandy beaches, now tops 22 million.

The Villages, FL metro area was the fastest-growing U.S. metro area between 2021 and 2022, increasing by 7.5%.

The paper is reporting that Floridians and others are migrating to Alabama's Gulf Coast, prompted by high prices in the Sunshine State and its transient lifestyle. That's one of the reasons why Baldwin County grew faster than any other Alabama county from 2010 to 2020.

More and more people are leaving California's urban areas like Los Angeles and moving into less-expensive communities like the Inland Empire - or exiting the state altogether. "The main reason is people are looking for where their money goes a little further than here," Coelho said.

High taxes, more affordable housing and better job prospects are chief reasons more people are leaving the Midwest for other parts of the country including the Southeast and Southwest, a study revealed.

Why are Pennsylvanians fleeing? According to data from United Van Lines, the leading reason is to look for a new job. This is no surprise, as the state has yet to recover from payroll job losses during the pandemic, while others states have seen significant job growth.

One of the most popular states to move to in 2023 is Texas, and for good reason. This state boasts an impressive job market since it is home to many tech companies, startups, and artistic hubs.

Which US city had the most people leave? ›

New York City continued to exhibit the largest numeric decline, losing 123,104 people from 2021 to 2022.

Idaho takes the number one spot for the most boring state, with a population of 1.89 million over 83,570 square miles.

The least popular state to move to in 2022: New Jersey

New Jersey topped the list of least popular states. According to the report, the Garden State is losing the most residents compared to those moving in.

Climate may also be a driving factor: Forbes reports on Postal Service data which suggests that many Americans "are leaving large cities and chilly states for less congested areas and warmer climes." And AP says other factors could include housing affordability, lower taxes, and the retirement of Baby Boomers.

What State Is Like California But Cheaper? Texas is one of those states similar to California but significantly cheaper. Along with a lower cost of living, Texas also offers the benefits of no personal income tax. Its climate is similar to that of California's – warm summers and cool winters with hardly any snow.

California continued to lose residents in 2022, but the state's population decline is slowing as immigration ramps up again following the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is currently home to about 38.9 million people, down more than 138,400 year-over-year, according to the California Department of Finance.

What to know. Disney announced Thursday that the company has pulled the plug in Florida on its $1 billion investment that was expected to bring a new office complex and relocate a California division that would have brought 2,000 jobs to the Orlando area.

Denver, Boulder, Jefferson and Arapahoe counties lost nearly 34,000 residents combined in domestic out-migration in the past two years, according to counts from the U.S. Census Bureau. Over the same period, Weld, Douglas and Larimer counties saw net migration of 35,656 people.

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver is losing people, and so is Colorado as a whole. Denver lost 4,200 people between January 2023 and March 2023, according to real estate brokerage Redfin, placing it among the top 10 cities people are leaving most.

Why is there so much homelessness in Colorado? ›

Lack of affordable housing

The number of residents that have moved to Colorado since 2011 totals nearly 650,000. This influx of residents has caused a shortage in affordable housing and contributed to the price of home ownership and renting increasing yearly.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also made millions of Americans less tethered to the locations of their company's offices. But not all cities are equally easy to move to, though Napa, California, is the American city that is easiest to relocate to.

Homes are relatively cheap

While Tennessee has not been exempt from rising housing costs across the country, it still remains one of the more affordable places to live compared to other parts of the country. In December 2022, the median sales price for new houses nationally was $442,100.

Among the 10 cities that are seeing the highest net inflow of house hunters, half are in the Sunshine State, according a report from real estate brokerage Redfin. New York was the top out-of-state origin for buyers in three of those Florida cities: Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

Florida is an excellent location if you're looking for work. According to Wallethub, Florida is the 14th best state to find a job. The unemployment rate in Florida was only 2.5% in December 2022. With the national unemployment rate at 3.4%, many people move to Florida to take advantage of opportunities in their fields.

North Dakota takes the cake as the best state in the U.S. to save money in. With the third lowest debt-to-income ratio in the country for Q3 2022—and the second lowest percentage of income spent on housing costs and rent—North Dakotans are able to keep more money in their pockets.

What state has the strongest economy? ›

California is the state with the highest gross domestic product by state, with $3.558 trillion, as of the second quarter of 2022.

Between 2021 and 2020, Louisiana's population decreased by 36,857 people. The current population sits at about 4.6 million. Experts have attributed the decline to the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating hurricanes that exacerbated the long-term downward trend, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported.

Studies in the 21st century suggest that, in terms of percentage and worldwide spread, Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world.

You said most of this growth is driven by migration. "In fact, in 2022, almost 50% of the growth was due to people moving from other states to Texas," she said. "About 25% was because of people from other countries to Texas; only 25% was due to the natural increase, which was births minus deaths."

The fastest-growing cities in the world, according to the UN, are Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka, Kinshasa, Chongqing, Lahore, Bangalore, Lagos, Cairo and Beijing.

Florida (318,855), Texas (230,961), and the Carolinas – North Carolina (99,796) and South Carolina (84,030) – were the states with the most net domestic migration gains in 2022. Positive net domestic migration and positive net international migration significantly boosted population growth in these areas.

Many folks choose to retire in Florida for tax reasons alone. There are no state taxes on social security, pension funds, IRAs, 401(k)s, or other retirement incomes, which makes the state specifically attractive to folks over the age of 65.

From July 2021-July 2022, nearly 444,500 people moved to Florida, which compared to the previous year was a gain of 185,000, the largest year-over-year impact of residents moving. Florida also ranked #1 in domestic migration, #2 in international migration, and #1 with the most people moving in per day at 1,218.

In 2018, the Federal Voting Assistance Program estimated a total number of 4.8 million American civilians lived abroad, 3.9 million civilians, plus 1.2 million service members and other government-affiliated Americans.

Why are people moving away from Florida? ›

The other reasons that people leave the state after moving here are varied: “A nearly 14,000-member Facebook group for people moving out of Florida has cited severe weather, low wages, crowded beaches, changing politics, and steep housing prices as reasons people left.”

Increasingly high costs of living, housing, and transportation coupled with an increase in crime, pollution, and congestion has caused many people to relocate to more affordable cities and states. Businesses have also been on the move out of California.

An estimate published in 2018 counted 600,000 people of other nations living in China, with 12% of those from the US; that means approximately 72,000 Americans living in China.

We've all heard the phrase "there's no place like home," but to some Americans, this is far more than just a saying: A new survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Little Passports reveals that 14 percent of United States residents have never traveled outside of the country and 16 percent have never left their home ...

Change in population, 2020 to 2022

Idaho, Montana and Florida saw the most population growth, while New York, Illinois and Louisiana saw the most decline.

That record stood for only one year: Census Bureau numbers show that, in 2021-'22, 19,400 Minnesotans fled for elsewhere in the United States. This outflow of residents is not new; Minnesota has lost residents in all but two years since 2001. But the pace of exit is quickening.

Four of the five cities that have lost the most people since the last census are in the Midwest. Detroit has lost the most people, about 43,000, since 2010, followed by Baltimore, St. Louis, Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio.