Eight of ten states with the largest net gain in residents are in
the South, with lower costs of living driving relocation
decisions.
Southern states are seeing the most in-migration while California and Northeastern
states are seeing the most residents move out, according to an analysis by
Consumer Affairs.
According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 8.2
million movers left one state for another in 2022. California experienced a 1.4%
decrease in population between 2020 and 2023. Conversely, Texas and Florida have
experienced a significant boost in employment, growing population by 4.7% and 5%
from 2020 to 2023, respectively.
The analysis by Consumer Affairs, weighing individuals expressing an interest in
moving between January 2023 and March 2024, found people are considering leaving
states with higher costs of living for those with lower costs. The states with the highest
net loss of migration, California (-10,453) and New York (-2,190), are home to densely
populated cities with high rents and costs of living.
Movers are eyeing relocating to lower cost of living states in the South, including
Florida and North Carolina. North Carolina (+3,529), South Carolina (+3,094), and
Florida (+3,080) were the states with the largest net increase in movers, according to
Consumer Affairs. Other southeastern and central states, including Tennessee,
Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma, also ranked highly for in- migration. Arizona and Idhao also ranked in the top 10, according to Consumer Affairs.
Behind California and New York, other northeastern states, including New
Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, ranked highly for the
biggest out-migration of residents. Illinois, Colorado, and Washington also featured in
the top 10 for largest negative net migration, according to Consumer Affairs.
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