United Van Lines' Annual Migration Study Reveals Oregon As Top Moving Destination Of 2013

Michigan Moves off High Outbound List after 16 Years with Moving Deficit

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Jan 02, 2014, 09:00 ET

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- After four straight years as runner-up, Oregon has finally made it to the winner's circle, and Michigan can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

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United Van Lines 2013 Annual Migration Study. (PRNewsFoto/United Van Lines) (PRNewsFoto/UNITED VAN LINES)

Those are the key findings from United Van Lines' 37^th Annual Migration Study, which tracks the states the company's customers move to and from during the course of the year. The study found that Oregon is the top moving destination of 2013, with 61 percent of moves to the state inbound ones. And after 16 consecutive years at or near the top of the outbound list, Michigan appeared in the balanced category for 2013. Michigan had claimed the top outbound spot from 2006-2009.

The District of Columbia (57 percent inbound) fell to the number five position on the inbound list after five consecutive years as the top moving destination. New additions to the 2013 top inbound list include South Dakota (57 percent), Texas (56 percent) and Colorado (55 percent).

"As the nation's largest household goods mover, United's shipment data illustrates national state-to-state migration trends," said Carl Walter, vice president of United Van Lines. "We've been tracking the number of inbound and outbound domestic moves for nearly 40 years, and through our study are able to identify the states that are attracting or losing residents."

"Business incentives, industrial growth and relatively lower costs of living are attracting jobs and people to the Southeastern and Western states such as South Dakota, Colorado and Texas," said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. "We're also seeing continued migration to the Pacific Northwest as young professionals and retirees are drawn to amenities including public transit, green space and the local arts and entertainment scene."

United has tracked migration patterns annually on a state-by-state basis since 1977. For 2013, the study is based on household moves handled by United within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. United classifies states as "high inbound" if 55 percent or more of the moves are going into a state, "high outbound" if 55 percent or more moves were coming out of a state or "balanced" if the difference of inbound and outbound is negligible.

Moving In
The top inbound states of 2013 were:

Oregon
South Carolina
North Carolina
District of Columbia
South Dakota
Nevada
Texas
Colorado

The Western U.S. is represented on the high-inbound list by Oregon (61 percent) and Nevada (56 percent). Nevada remained on the high inbound list for the third consecutive year.

The Carolinas each made the top five with South Carolina at 60 percent and North Carolina at 58 percent inbound moves. North Carolina has been on the high inbound list every year since 1993, and South Carolina has held a spot on the top inbound list 16 out of the past 18 years.

Moving Out
The top outbound states for 2013 were:

New Jersey
Illinois
New York
West Virginia
Connecticut
Utah
Kentucky
Massachusetts
New Mexico

New Jersey (64 percent) continued to top the high outbound list claiming the top spot for three out of the past four years. Illinois (61 percent) held steady at the number two spot after falling from the top spot in 2011.

The Northeast is the most prominent region on the high-outbound traffic list. In addition to New Jersey, New York (61 percent), Connecticut (59 percent) and Massachusetts (56 percent) are also included.

Kentucky (56 percent) joined West Virginia (60 percent) as the only Southern states to appear on the high outbound list. New Mexico (55 percent) and Utah (58 percent) represented the Western U.S. on the list.

Balanced
Several states gained approximately the same number of residents as those that left. Those states include Nebraska, Tennessee, Iowa, Alabama, Louisiana and Indiana. Michigan appeared on the balanced list for the first time since 1997.

"After 16 years with a migration deficit, Michigan has joined the balanced category due to improvement in its economy over the past two years," said Stoll. "Despite having an unemployment rate higher than the national average, home sales and home prices are up showing an increased demand for housing, the state's per capita income is up, and automakers in Detroit have rebounded and are hiring."

To view new and archived press releases from United, visit the United Van Lines Newsroom.

About United Van Lines
United Van Lines is America's #1 Mover^®, offering a full range of moving solutions from do-it-yourself to full-service. With headquarters in suburban St. Louis, United Van Lines maintains a network of 400 affiliated agencies. For more information about United Van Lines visit UnitedVanLines.com.

Editors note: Attached, for your reference, is a map showing migration trends for each state. If you are interested in specific information for your area, please contact Melissa Sullivan at [email protected].

SOURCE United Van Lines