As telecommuting remained popular in 2021, these factors drew Americans to new states
By Annetta Stogniew
When the pandemic shut down workplaces and pushed most Americans into home offices, many took the opportunity to
sever ties
with their commute destinations. New state-to-state migration data from the
U.S. Census
reveals that some movers went so far as to move across state lines.
The census data uses the American Community Survey to estimate
how many people changed residence in a one-year period both within and between states. The 2021 results, released on June 8,
showed an uptick in interstate movement that contradicts trends from prior years. But the pandemic, combined with certain
characteristics of popular areas, were sufficient motivation for many Americans to move across state lines.
Despite long-term decline in changing residence, 2021 saw more people moving across state lines than in previous years
Since 2006, the number of Americans moving to new residences has declined,
down from 16.8% of the population in 2006 to only 12.8% in 2021. But the number of people specifically moving between states has not followed the same trend.
After increasing steadily from 2010 to 2015, the number of people moving across state lines began to plateau and even decreased slightly in 2019. But after
a lapse in data collection in the pandemic's first year, 2021 numbers showed significantly more people moving across state lanes than in 2019.
In the year before the pandemic, 17.4% of people who moved homes in the U.S. crossed state lines. In 2021, that number jumped to 19.4% of movers.
It's possible that the prevelance of remote work during the pandemic pushed people across state borders. According to the
U.S. Census, three times as
many people reported working from home in 2021 than in 2019 — meaning three times as many people were free to clock in from
the state of their choosing.
States with warm weather and low prices attracted new residents in 2021
Which state a remote worker might choose for their new home may vary from person to person. But migration data shows that warmer states with low costs of living
were especially appealing to those crossing state lines.
Of all 50 states, Florida attracted the most out-of-staters in 2021. More populous states are likely to have larger influxes of movers, but Florida remains on top when
it comes to net flow of movers, or how many more people are moving into a state than moving out. Other states with high net flows of newcomers include Texas,
North Carolina, Arizona and South Carolina.
These states are all in the southern half of the U.S. and may have warmer climates than some of their northern neighbors, which could have been a draw for new residents.
With long-distance moves, climate is not the only aspect of day-to-day life that is likely to change. Daily expendatures, from groceries to transportation, vary
in price from state to state. In 2021, states with lower costs of living tended to have higher net flows of movers. More expensive states saw lower net flows.
States with the lowest net flows include California, New York, Illinois, Massachuessets and New Jersey. With the exception of California, these states tend to be
colder than those with high net flows. Although these states had median costs of living in 2021, some of their most populous cities bore the
highest prices in the country.
Each state has its own migration patterns and not all states followed national trends in 2021. Select a state from the list below to learn more about its migration patterns.
Of all 50 states, California had the lowest net flow of movers in 2021. Although the net flow of movers in California has been declining since 2009, 2021 saw an especially massive drop. The disparity between people moving
in and people moving out of California in 2021 was more than double what it was in 2019.
Of the top-five states to send new residents to California, only New York had a higher cost of living index. The top states to send movers to The Golden State were highly-populated or close by.
California residents who left the state in 2021 seemed to prefer states with lower costs of living.
In 2021, for the first time since the American Community Survey started reporting on state-to-state migration in 2005, Connecticut had a positive net flow of movers.
This sudden change in Connecticut's migration patterns could be due to its close proximity to New York City. People were already moving out of cities before the pandemic, but the opportunity to ditch metropolitan offices and hefty housing prices
accelerated this trend from 2020 to 2022.
New York was the number-one source of new residents who moved to Connecticut in 2021, with more than double as many Connecticut in-movers than any other state.
Aside from neighboring states, warmer states like California, Florida and North Carolina drew some residents out of Connecticut in 2021.
In 2021, Florida had a higher net flow of movers than any other state. A popular destination for snowbirds, the state's warm climate and median cost of living
may explain its appeal. Florida is also
one of nine states with no income tax, which may have drawn new residents.
The top-five states that sent newcomers to the Sunshins State in 2021 span the country, but New York sent more than double the number of residents to Florida than any other state.
Ex-Floridians moved across the country, to cheaper nearby states or far-away states with high populations.
Since 2005, Illinois has gained fewer and fewer newcomers relative to the amount of people leaving the state.
Although the exact reason for this decline is unclear, high taxes and cold winters
may be responsible.
Most Illinois residents relocated to nearby states with lower cost of living indices. Some farther states with warmer climates also made the list.
People from Illinois mostly moved to neighboring states like Indiana, Wisconsin and Missouri. When traveling farther, it seems states with year-round sun like California and Florida were popular choices.
Although net flow in Massachusetts was on the rise from 2005 to 2009, it has sharply declined since 2010. According to
state reports, high housing costs and poor public transportation may be the cause.
Among the top-five destinations for those crossing Massachusetts state lines, some offer lower cost of living. On par with national trends, many residents moved to neighboring states or states with warmer climates.
The top-five states to send new residents to Massachusetts were the same states that received the most Massachusetts movers, though not in the same order.
New York had the second-lowest net flow of movers in 2021, following California. Although New York has had a negative net flow since 2005, numbers only began to decline in 2010. This trend worsened
between 2019 and 2021.
Long-term migration patterns from The Empire State have been attributed to high cost of living and need for a change in lifestyle. And according to data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, New York had the third-highest average cost of living index in 2021.
The post-pandemic drop in net flow may also be the result of remote workers fleeing metropolitan areas like New York City.
Like many other states, New York's primary sources of new residents are nearby states and states with large populations.
Most ex-New-Yorkers fled to states with lower cost of living indices in 2021.
The comparison of people moving into and out of Pennsylvania has followed irratic patterns since 2005. After flipping from positive to negative and positive again within the span of a decade,
Pennsylvania's net flow of movers appeared to approach zero again in 2021.
Although it is difficult to say what might cause such irregular movement pattern in Pennsylvania, its middle-ground cost of living, proximity to major cities and relative ease for movers
could all play a role.
In 2021, most Pennsylvania newcomers relocated from nearby states with higher costs of living.
Those who left Pennsylvania for another state mostly moved to neighboring states, as well as Florida.
The second-most-popular state among interstate movers in 2021, Texas is one of few states to maintained a positive net flow of movers since 2005. Although there have been times that Texas' net flow has declined,
it has been increasing since 2018.
Texas' relatively low cost of living, lack of income tax and warm climate may explain its consistently high influx of movers. All top-five states to send residents to Texas in 2021 had higher cost of living indices than the Lone Star State.
People who left Texas in 2021 often gravitated toward other warm states with high populations, or neighboring states.
From 2019 to 2021, the net flow of movers in Washington, D.C. dropped drastically, but not for the first time since 2005. Similar declines over two-year periods were seen from 2011 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2018.
High prices and remote work opportunities may explain large migrations out of the nation's capitol during the pandemic. In 2021, Washington, D.C. had the second-highest average cost of living index of any state in 2021 according to Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Despite high cost of living, residents from nearby states like Maryland and Virginia continued to move into Washington, D.C. in 2021.
Washington D.C. residents primarily relocated to nearby states with lower costs of living.