People Are Moving From Virginia — Here's Why

VIRGINIA — People come and go for a variety of reasons: Job change. Retirement. A close family member falls ill.

In Virginia, residents most often move to or from the state for a job. That’s according to the 42nd annual “National Movers Study,” conducted by United Van Lines. Released this week, the study tracked customers’ state-to-state migration patterns in 2018.

The top reason people cited for moving to or from Virginia in 2018 was employment, according to the study. Family was the second most popular motivator. Overall, United reported more people were moving from than to Virginia.

Here’s what the study found for Virginia movers:

• Inbound — Total 48.4 percent
• Retirement: 13.2 percent
• Health: 5.37 percent
• Family: 23.27 percent
• Lifestyle: 8.5 percent
• Job: 60.4 percent
• Outbound — Total 51.6 percent
• Retirement: 23.54 percent
• Health: 6.23 percent
• Family: 26.26 percent
• Lifestyle: 13.23 percent
• Job: 48.25 percent

The study found more residents left New Jersey than any other state last year. More than 66 percent of movers in The Garden State headed elsewhere. That was a common thread in the Northeast, the study found, with Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts all in the top 10 outbound states. Several states in the Midwest also appeared near the top of the list.

1. New Jersey, 66.8 percent
2. Illinois, 65.9 percent
3. Connecticut, 62 percent
4. New York, 61.5 percent
5. Kansas, 58.7 percent
6. Ohio, 56.5 percent
7. Massachusetts, 55.7 percent
8. Iowa, 55.5 percent
9. Montana, 55 percent
10. Michigan, 55 percent

Meanwhile, Vermont saw the highest percentage of inbound migration at 72.6 percent, and states in the West also proved to be popular destinations. Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and Washington all appeared in the top 10 for states with the highest inbound proportion.

“Unlike a few decades ago, retirees are leaving California, instead choosing other states in the Pacific West and Mountain West,” said Michael Stoll, economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, according to a release. “We’re also seeing young professionals migrating to vibrant, metropolitan economies, like Washington, D.C. and Seattle.” More than 21 percent of those moving to Virginia were ages 18 to 34.

Stoll said the data aligns well with longer-term migration patterns to the South and West, which have historically been driven by factors such as job growth, lower costs of living, state budget challenges and more temperate climates.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. And like Patch on Facebook!)

Image via Shutterstock.