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Movers Leave Central Northeast in 2006; Head Southeast and West
Several states experienced substantial shifts in population last year, with moves benefiting the Southeast and West and thinning the Central Northeast region of the country, according to United Van Lines' 30th annual “migration” study, which tracked 227,254 interstate moves by its customers among the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. in 2006.
The United study classifies each state as “high inbound” (55% or more of moves going into a state), “high outbound” (55% or more of moves leaving the state) or “balanced.”
Although the majority of states were in the “balanced” category last year, several were not, with many states in the Southeast gaining new residents. Nationwide, North Carolina was the top destination (64.0%) inbound. In South Carolina, 60.6% of the moves were into the state, the 13th year of such growth. Alabama grew for its fourth year, with 57.5% of its moves inbound. Although moves into Tennessee dropped from 58.0% in 2005 to 55.8% last year, the state still captured a spot on United’s high-inbound list.
Although not “high inbound,” other Southeastern states gained residents: Kentucky (52.9%), in a five-year growth trend; Georgia (53.9%), in a 25-year trend as an inbound state; and Mississippi (50.1%).
The West also emerged as a top region for migrations, with Oregon in second place nationwide (62.5%), in a 19-year trend; Arizona (55.4%), losing roughly 5% in moves into the state over the previous year; and Nevada (59.9%), which has been on a roll since 1986.
Inbound moves to New Mexico grew by 3.7% over 2005, rising to 57.9%; Utah rose to 56.0%, up nearly 6%; Idaho was 59.3%, its high inbound ranking holding steady for the past 19 years; and Montana was 55.0%, growing for five consecutive years.
Not quite making it into the “high inbound” category but still growing were: Colorado (54.7%), a 1.2% increase over 2005 in a four-year growth trend; and Wyoming (54.4%), up 4.3% from the prior year.
Rounding out the list of high-inbound locations were Washington, D.C. (57.9%), which has been growing ever since the study was started; and South Dakota (55.9%), in its first high-inbound year since 1994.
Other noteworthy trends among inbound-migration states in 2006 were:
- Texas (54.6%) has been experiencing inbound movement since 1989 and saw a slight 0.7% gain in people moving in over 2005.
- Nebraska (52.5%) saw its inbound moves grow by 3.2% over the previous year as it changed course as an outbound state.
- While it was in the “balanced” category, Oklahoma (50.0%) experienced a 3% increase over 2005.
- Minnesota (51.3%) saw more people coming than going last year for the first time in 25 years.
The United Van Lines study found that the Central Northeast was generally following an outbound trend last year, with Michigan (66.0% of moves leaving the state) tied with North Dakota for the highest percentage of shipments to outside states.
Other states in the region on the “high-outbound” list were: New York (59.5%), an outbound state since the beginning of the survey; Indiana (58.2%), a high outbounder since 1993; and Illinois (55.7%), a high outbound state from the survey’s inception.
Also continuing to be on the outbound were: New Jersey (60.9%), on the decline since 1997; Pennsylvania (57.0%), a high-outbound state for the past three years; and Ohio (55.8%), outbound since 1992.
Also one of the top high-outbound states was Louisiana (56.4%), for the second consecutive year, although inbound moves grew 1.5% over 2005.
Not in the “high outbound” category, but trending down were Connecticut (52.4%), in the fifth consecutive year of out-migration; and Maryland (54.1%), an outbounder for 15 straight years.
Other noteworthy trends in outbound states:
- California (52.4%) saw its lowest outbound percentage in four years.
- Missouri (51.8%) continued a 12-year outbound trend and saw 1% more residents leave in 2006 than in 2005.
- Wisconsin (53.2%) saw its lowest outbound loss since 2000.
Over the years, the United Van Lines study has been shown to accurately reflect the general migration patterns in various regions of the country, according to Carl Walter, the company’s vice president, and its data is regularly used by real estate firms, financial institutions and other observers of relocation trends in their business planning and analysis.
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