Residents Fleeing CT Despite Improving Coronavirus Conditions

CONNECTICUT — United Van Lines has released its 44th Annual National Migration Study, revealing in 2020, Americans continued to move westbound and southbound — and out of Connecticut, for the most part.

Gov. Ned Lamont stated frequently over the course of the summer and fall that his state was enjoying an influx of taxpayers. Based upon the United Van Lines data, he may have meant "compared to neighboring states New Jersey and New York."

In fact, many of the residents from New York and New Jersey end up in Connecticut, according to anecdotal reports from local real estate agents. In October, the moving company released a report that named Connecticut the third most popular state for those fleeing COVID-19.

But the wave of people moving into Connecticut during the pandemic still could not offset migration of Nutmeggers to points west and south, making it the 4th most outbound state in the country last year, according to the moving company's report. All told, 36.5 percent of the relocation traffic in Connecticut came from those moving in, and the remaining 63.5 percent of moving vans were hired by people leaving.

Although most of the migration was pandemic-motivated, other factors came into play. In the case of New Jersey, it's arguable that COVID-19 fears were just a few of many factors contributing to its exodus: The Garden State has topped the list of outbound locations for the past three years.

The top outbound states for 2020 were:

1. New Jersey
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. Connecticut
5. California
6. Kansas
7. North Dakota
8. Massachusetts
9. Ohio
10. Maryland

When the moves were 'rona-related, it wasn't always about safety — although at 60 percent of the responses, it was certainly the biggest driver. Others fled their previous digs out of a desire to be closer to their family (59 percent). Changes to their employment status or work arrangement (including the ability to work remotely) prompted 57 percent to pack, and 53 percent just wanted a lifestyle change or improvement of quality of life.

The top inbound states (with 250 moves or more) of 2020 were:

1. Idaho
2. South Carolina
3. Oregon
4. South Dakota
5. Arizona
6. North Carolina
7. Tennessee
8. Alabama
9. Florida
10. Arkansas

New to the 2020 top inbound list are Tennessee at No. 7 and Alabama at No. 8, both with inbound percentages of 60, and Arkansas at No. 10 with 59 percent inbound. Vermont experienced the highest percentage of inbound moves overall, but United Van Lines moved fewer than 250 families in and out of the state, so it didn't make the list.

For retirement, Delaware experienced more inbound moves than any other state at 41 percent, followed by Florida (39 percent) and South Carolina (38.5 percent). Minnesota led the list of states people moved to for family (41 percent), and Wyoming was the top state for a lifestyle change with an inbound percentage upwards of 29. More people migrated to Nebraska (72 percent) for a new job or job transfer than any other state, and more people moved to Idaho (11 percent) due to the cost of living than any other state.

"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."

By their nature, epidemics ravage and spread the fastest through major metropolitan areas, and the 2020 coronavirus outbreak was no exception. New York City (72 percent), Newark (72 percent) and Chicago (69 percent) experienced greater outbound migration, while lower-density cities like Wilmington, NC (79 percent) and Boise, ID (75 percent) saw high levels of inbound moves.

The population changes in some states were less tumultuous, with nearly the same number of residents moving inbound as outbound. New Hampshire and Montana are among these "balanced states," according to the report.

"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."