Last year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, many Americans reconsidered where they live; there was a rise in remote work opportunities, stay-at-home orders and remote learning made the home office a necessity and no longer a luxury, and for some, financial and employment reasons forced a move.
New Jersey had the highest percentage of people leaving in 2020, according to data from moving company United Van Lines. New Jersey has held the top spot for three years in a row according to the moving company’s data. It is followed closely by New York, Illinois, Connecticut and California.
The data showed Americans are continuing to move south and west, with states like Idaho, South Carolina, Oregon and Arizona having the highest rate of inbound migration.
This data matches reports from other moving and real estate companies during 2020, showing many people leaving larger metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, and heading toward smaller cities or nearby suburbs.
“As more people experience job and lifestyle changes amid the pandemic like remote working, we’re seeing they have more flexibility in where they can live – many choosing to move from urban to more rural areas,” said Eily Cummings, director of corporate communications at United Van Lines in a written statement.
United Van Lines data shows about 40% of those they moved in 2020 were moving because of a new job or job transfer. The company says this is actually down from prior years. About 27% of those who moved in 2020 said they wanted to be closer to family.