Elgin Area Chamber Of Commerce: Sparsely Populated Regions Grow As People Move To More Affordable Areas

Elgin IL

21 January, 2022

2:30 AM

Description

Press release from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce: January 20, 2022 Vermont and South Dakota Gain More Arrivals, While New Jersey and Illinois See More People Leave   An annual study that tracks where — and why — Americans are moving found people flocking to states and cities with lower populations. The Medford-Ashland, Oregon, region and Punta Gorda, Florida — population 21,000 — led the nation in the percentage of inbound migration in 2021, according to United Van Lines' "National Movers Study" released this month. The study relies partially on moving company United Van Lines data tracking the total number of shipments the company completed in a state or city and what percentage of those shipments was inbound versus outbound. The company also does a separate survey of people on reasons for their moves. The survey found that nearly one-third of those who moved did so to be closer to family, while a similar percentage moved for a job. In 2015, nearly two-thirds of respondents said they were moving because of a job or transfer. The region that led the nation in 2021 as a magnet for people relocating for work? Washington, D.C., though that shouldn't be surprising in a year with a new presidential administration coming in. United Van Lines data showed New Jersey had four of the top 10 metropolitan areas with outbound migration last year, the fourth year in a row it led the list. Illinois, New York and California were also among the high-population states that saw the biggest outbound migration percentages. "This new data from United Van Lines is indicative of COVID-19's impact on domestic migration patterns, with 2021 bringing an acceleration of moves to smaller, mid-sized towns and cities," Michael Stoll, an economist and professor at UCLA, said in a statement released with the study. He added that "we're seeing this not only occur because of Americans' desire to leave high-density areas due to risk of infection, but also due to the transformation of how we're able to work, with more flexibility to work remote." Source: www.CoStar.com This press release was produced by the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author's own.