NJ Tops List Again as Most Moved from State

On Jan 3, 2022

New Jersey again tops the list as the state with the most outbound moves according to United Van Lines 45th Annual National Movers Study.

The annual study, which tracks United Van Line’s exclusive data for customers’ state-to-state migration patterns, determined that Vermont was the state with the highest percentage of inbound migration (74%) with United Van Lines in 2021. However, for the fourth consecutive year, the study found that more residents were moving out of New Jersey than into the state, as 71% of New Jersey moves were outbound in 2021.

Three New Jersey regions also ranked among the nation’s top ten metropolitan areas with outbound moves: Bergen-Passaic (76% outbound), Newark (74% outbound), and Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon (72%).

The study also revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic continued to accelerate many decisions to move, indicating that Americans were on the move to lower-density areas and to be closer to their families throughout last year.

States like Illinois (67%), New York (63%), Connecticut (60%) and California (59%), which have regularly appeared on the top outbound list in recent years, again ranked among states with the largest exoduses. Meanwhile, South Dakota (69%), South Carolina (63%), West Virginia (63%) and Florida (62%) were revealed as the top inbound states for 2021.

In addition to the state-by-state data, each year United Van Lines also conducts an accompanying survey to examine the motivations and influences for Americans’ interstate moves. This year’s survey results indicated 31.8% of Americans who moved did so in order to be closer to family – a new trend coming out of the pandemic as priorities and lifestyle choices shift. Additionally, 32.5% of Americans moved for a new job or job transfer, a significant decrease from 2015, when more than 60% of Americans cited a job or transfer.

“This new data from United Van Lines is indicative of COVID-19’s impact on domestic migration patterns, with 2021 bringing an acceleration of moves to smaller, midsized towns and cities,” Michael A. Stoll, economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, said. “We’re seeing this not only occur because of Americans’ desire to leave high density areas due to risk of infection, but also due to the transformation of how we’re able to work, with more flexibility to work remote.”

What’s more, amid the pandemic, many Gen Xers are retiring (often at a younger age than past generations), joining the Baby Boomer generation. While many are retiring to states like Florida, United Van Lines’ data reveals they’re not necessarily heading to heavily populated cities like Orlando and Miami — they’re venturing to less dense places like Punta Gorda (81% inbound), Sarasota (79% inbound) and Fort Myers-Cape Coral (77% inbound). Similarly, in Oregon, cities including Medford-Ashland (83%) and Eugene-Springfield (79%) saw high inbound migration in 2021.

“For 45 years now, our annual United Van Lines study, with its data-driven insights, has allowed us to explore a deeper understanding of Americans’ overall migration patterns,” Eily Cummings, director of corporate communications at United Van Lines, said. “As the pandemic continues to impact our day-to-day, we’re seeing that lifestyle changes — including the increased ability to work from home — and wanting to be closer to family are key factors in why Americans are moving today.”

Moving In

The top inbound states of 2021 were:

1. Vermont
2. South Dakota
3. South Carolina
4. West Virginia
5. Florida
6. Alabama
7. Tennessee
8. Oregon
9. Idaho
10. Rhode Island

Of the top ten inbound states, six — Vermont, South Dakota, West Virginia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho — are among the 20 least densely populated states in America, with less than 100 people per square mile. And, Tennessee and South Carolina are among the top 25.

Moving Out

The top outbound states for 2021 were:

11. New Jersey
12. Illinois
13. New York
14. Connecticut
15. California
16. Michigan
17. Massachusetts
18. Louisiana
19. Ohio
20. Nebraska

Nine of the top 10 outbound states are considered densely populated, further illustrating America’s shift to less crowded states.

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