2021 Moving Trends: What States are Most Popular?

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    2021 Moving Trends: What States are Most Popular?

    Over the past year and a half a lot has changed regarding how people live and work. Over the course of the pandemic, more people than ever have felt the need or seen the opportunity to move, and have taken that chance. 

    Especially since many people saw their offices go permanently remote, people no longer found themselves tethered to one spot. So how have moving trends continued as 2021 has progressed?  As we begin to close out the year, we examine the moving trends and most popular states to move to throughout the year. 

    2021 Moving Trends

    In 2021, people were looking to relocate to areas with lower living and housing costs. This can be attributed to not only the lack of need for many to commute into densely populated cities in 2020, but is also due to high unemployment and the uncertain economy. Unfortunately, a lot of people either lost their jobs over the pandemic, or otherwise changed careers which led them to seek out more affordable housing to pursue their passions. 

    More Space, More Potential

    Since the need to commute and be tethered to one spot of one city went away for many during the pandemic, a lot of people sought out cheaper housing, with more room than their city abodes. 

    Additionally, due to the additional risks that came with living in crowded or densely populated cities last year, many people moved to more spread out or open-air areas in 2020, and continued to do so throughout the course of 2021. People not only wanted more outdoor space for activities and to enjoy themselves, but also to get away from the risk and paranoia of being surrounded by so many other people. 

    Top States to Move to in 2021

    This year, these states saw the most people moving to them from more populated areas:

    • New Mexico
    • Idaho
    • Maine

    In turn, these states saw the most people leaving them to move to other areas throughout the course of the year:

    • New York
    • California
    • Illinois
    • Washington D.C.

    Whether by pure coincidence or not, the most densely populated states (including the 4 named above), saw the most people relocating out of state, whereas the least populated states (including the additional 3 named above), saw the most growth as city dwellers sought out more freedom and space.

    Why Did People Move in 2021?

    In 2021, the biggest reason why people found themselves relocating ws due to wanting more space, and because of the freedom afforded to them by remote work. Between 14 and 23 million Americans planned to move in 2021 due to the opportunity for remote work (and to live wherever they desired as a result). 

    Additionally, because of the lack of need to commute, more people than ever exited large cities to move to suburbs outside of these dense areas. Since they no longer are attached to a central work location, families and individuals alike are taking advantage of lower housing prices that provide them with more space and value.

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