Massachusetts In Top 10 For Outbound Migration

Many are leaving Massachusetts. That is the take-away from the results of United Van Lines 44th annual Migration Study. Each year the moving company compiles the data it collects from moves across the country to take stock of the migration trends across the United States. In particular, it showed the continued movement of the U.S. population both westbound and southbound. While 2020 was exceptional in many ways, the moving company states that the public health crisis simply accelerated many people’s decisions to move.

“United Van Lines’ data makes it clear that migration to western and southern states, a prevalent pattern for the past several years, persisted in 2020,” said Michael A. Stoll, economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “However, we’re seeing that the COVID-19 pandemic has without a doubt accelerated broader moving trends, including retirement driving top inbound regions as the Baby Boomer generation continues to reach that next phase of life.”

The pandemic pushed many people into action

Per the moving data collected from March to October, while COVID-19 was the major push, Americans surveyed also cited these additional reasons as an impetus to pick up and move:

• personal and family health and wellbeing (60%);
• desires to be closer to family (59%)
• 57% moved due to changes in employment status or work arrangement (including the ability to work remotely); and
• 53% desired a lifestyle change or improvement of quality of life.

“Each year, our United Van Lines study provides critical insights into broader migration patterns and Americans’ moving motivations. As the largest household goods mover in the country, United Van Lines’ data-driven insights uniquely point to national trends and, this year particularly, the resounding impact of COVID-19 on moving choices and the moving industry,” said Eily Cummings, director of corporate communications at United Van Lines. “For example, as more people experience job and lifestyle changes amid the pandemic like remote working, we’re seeing they have more flexibility in where they can live – many choosing to move from urban to more rural areas.”

Spotlight on Massachusetts