The COVID-19 pandemic started a great migration. As people could work from home by the millions, they began to relocate, often from America’s large, expensive coastal cities to less expensive ones, often in the South. This caused an influx of people to Arizona, Florida and Texas. States such as New York and California, and states in the upper Midwest, lost people, according to the Census Bureau. The same pattern was true with America’s largest cities. (See why Detroit is one of the most dangerous cities in America.)
Where Did They Come From, Where Did They Go?
The United Van Lines 47th Annual National Movers Study is a major annual survey of American relocation habits. The new edition covers 2023 and is based on the moving company’s proprietary data, using information about where it moves its customers over the year. The trends it found match many of those that started during the pandemic: “We are continuing to see the trend that Americans are moving to more affordable, lower-density areas across the country, with many heading to Southern states.”
The 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) by population were divided into two groups based on the number of inbound moves into the cities compared to outbound moves. “High inbound” cities are those where 55% of moves were inbound, while “high outbound” cities are where 55% moved away from the MSA.
An analysis of the country’s largest cities showed a similar geographic pattern to states. Eight of the top 15 MSAs with the highest percentage of inbound movers were in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia. The list was led by Charlotte, N.C., where 64% of the moves were inbound in 2023.
Of the 15 metros with the most outbound movers, 10 were in California, New York or New Jersey. However, the city with the largest percentage of outbound moves among the 50 largest MSAs was Detroit. Sixty-four percent of its moves were outbound, so the data should not come as a surprise. Detroit has lost over half its population since the 1960s and is one of America’s most impoverished cities.
These are the 10 cities with the most people moving away:
- Detroit, Mich. (64.11%)
- Chicago, Ill. (62.81%)
- Riverside, Calif. (61.58%)
- New York, N.Y (60.62%)
- San Diego, Calif. (60.06%)
- Buffalo, N.Y. (59.13%)
- Boston, Mass. (57.48%)
- Los Angeles, Calif. (56.46%)
- Memphis, Tenn. (56.42%)
- Sacramento, Calif. (55.72%)
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