People who moved from one place in the United States to another last year went to Oregon more than any other state. It holds the lead despite the fact that it is the 27th state in the nation based on population.

The Carolinas are also among the top destinations for movers, according to United Van Lines data:

Those are the key findings from United Van Lines’ 38th Annual National Movers Study, which tracks customers’ migration patterns state-to-state during the course of the past year. The study found that Oregon is the top moving destination of 2014, with 66 percent of moves to and from the state being inbound — that’s a nearly 5 percent increase of inbound moves compared to 2013. Arriving at No. 2 on the list was South Carolina (61 percent inbound), followed closely in third by its northern neighbor, North Carolina (61 percent).

Several states in the Northeast are at the bottom of the list:

The Northeast is experiencing a moving deficit with New Jersey (65 percent outbound), New York (64 percent) and Connecticut (57 percent) making the list of top outbound states for the third consecutive year.

Ironically, two of these states are among the most populous in the United States, with New York ranked fourth with a population of 19.4 million and New Jersey 11th with a population of 8.8 million.

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United Van Lines got one expert to comment on the trends:

“With economic stability growing nationally, the current migration patterns reflect longer-term trends of movement to the southern and western states, especially to those where housing costs are relatively lower, climates are more temperate and job growth has been at or above the national average, among other factors,” said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Unique amenities such as outdoor recreation, arts and entertainment activities, and green space protection likely continue to propel Oregon to the top of the list for the second straight year.”

As would be expected, Florida, which recently passed New York as the third largest state by population, was fifth among those with highest inbound movers:

The top inbound states of 2014 were:

1. Oregon
2. South Carolina
3. North Carolina
4. Vermont
5. Florida
6. Nevada
7. Texas
8. District of Columbia
9. Oklahoma
10. Idaho

The District of Columbia and Oklahoma do not fit the United Van Lines profile of states with high inbound numbers. However, one has oil and the other has a disproportionate number of government jobs. Those guesses are as good as any.

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Methodology: United has tracked migration patterns annually on a state-by-state basis since 1977. For 2014, 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% or more of the moves are going into a state, “high outbound” if 55% or more moves were coming out of a state, or “balanced” if the difference between inbound and outbound is negligible.

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