People move in the US all the time and the number of existing local moving companies – around 7000 – is proof of that. Millions of Americans are even now planning their local, long-distance or even cross country move and preparing to pack up this summer. Summer is always the busiest season for moving companies and just ahead of yearly peak moving season, Call the Movers would like to review moving trends of 2019.

Like the previous year (see more about moving trends in 2018 – here), Call the Movers know, that you are curious to know where around 10% of all American have moved. So based on, United Van Line’s 43rd Annual National Movers Study, we want to share some interesting insights and highlights about moving reasons and directions in 2019.

There are four main reasons why Americans decide to relocate and they are more or less the same as in 2018:

1.  New job opportunity or company transfer was the most common reason for relocation in 2019. In 2019, Washington, D.C. saw the largest influx of residents due to a new job/company transfer at 78 %.
2. Wishing to be closer to family was the reason to relocate for almost a quarter of people who moved in 2019.
3. Retirement is a time of freedom and most retired Americans relocate to improve their quality of life for financial or health reasons.
4. Lifestyle change often means relocation as well, because living in a new place, gives an opportunity to not only explore and learn about a new city, but also the chance to discover more about yourself.

2019 was the luckiest year for the state of Idaho, because it became the most moved to state; in 2018 it was in third place. The leading reason people moved to Idaho in 2019 was for retirement, because of this state’s tranquility. Idaho is the perfect place to start a slower and quieter lifestyle.

Call the Movers reveals the top 10 states Americans were moving to in 2019:

1. Idaho
2. Oregon
3. Arizona
4. South Carolina
5. Washington
6. District of Columbia
7. Florida
8. South Dakota
9. North Carolina
10. New Mexico

There are no significant changes in inbound states between 2018 and 2019, except that Vermont and Nevada are no longer in the top 10, while Florida and New Mexico entered the top 10 with the same work-related and retirement reasons.

What about top moving out states? New Jersey, Illinois and New York continue to be the top states that people move out of and this may even be increasing. It seems as if Americans are running from the northeastern states because of climate, which can be described as colder and snowier. Storms are more frequent in this region also because colder air masses come down from Canada. It is obvious that Americans choose to spend their retirement in areas with palm trees and sandy beaches. According to United Van Line’s 43rd Annual National Movers Study top outbound states for 2019 were:

1. New Jersey
2. Illinois
3. New York
4. Connecticut
5. Kansas
6. Ohio
7. California
8. Michigan
9. North Dakota
10. Iowa

Looking for differences between outbound states in 2018 and 2019, it is important to mention that California was new to the top 10 outbound states in 2019. Of those who left California in 2019, nearly 2 out of 5 cited a new job/company transfer as their reason for moving.

While Idaho is becoming more populated and New Jersey less populated, several states saw nearly the same number of residents moving in as out. In 2019 balanced states were Maine and Oklahoma.

To learn more about Americans moving habits in 2019 we want to highlight some more interesting facts:

• Americans like to move locally. During 2019 around 62% of transitions were local or within their same county and just 1 in 6 of relocation were across state lines.
• 1 in 8 of all out-of-state moves were to Florida. Looks like beaches and palms are really attracting Americans.
• 20% of all moves in America happened on a Saturday and 35% of all moves in 2019 took place in June, July and August. Good reasons to book your movers early if you are moving on a Saturday or in the summer.

Will the statistics of American relocation habits and destination surprise us next year? With decades of experience and know-how in local and long-distance moving we don’t think so, but we are ready to say “YES” to every moving project in Fairfax VA, Northern Virginia, Maryland or Washington D.C., no matter whether it’s just a few blocks or cross country. Call the Movers guarantees a smooth professional moving experience for every move.

Sources:

1. “United Van Lines” 43rd Annual National Movers Study.
2. The 2020 “HireAHelper” American Migration Report.