Where is America Moving?

2017 MIGRATION PATTERNS

From Atlas Van Lines, January, 2018

Based on 72,986 Interstate and Cross-Border Household Goods Relocations from January 1, 2017 through December 15, 2017.

(Click on individual state/province for 10-year historical data.)

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Where is America Moving?

In 2017, 11 U.S. states registered a change in migration status over 2016 results. The study also found that 23 states registered as balanced—meaning that moves in and out of the states were roughly equal—17 as outbound, and 10 as inbound, including Washington, D.C. The data showed an overall decrease in moves in 2017. Atlas has conducted the Migration Patterns study since 1993 to track the nation’s interstate (between states) and cross-border (U.S. to Canada) moving patterns annually as reflected in moves handled by Atlas.

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound moves and outbound moves are included in order below, and Idaho is the study’s inbound leader for a second year in a row. While Illinois has classified as outbound since 2009, the state has the highest percentage of outbound moves in the country in 2017.

INBOUND:

• Idaho (65.1 percent)
• Washington (62.5 percent)
• Nevada (62.4 percent)
• Tennessee (60.6 percent)         
• Alaska (60.4 percent)
• Maine (59.7 percent)
• North Carolina (59.3 percent)
• Oregon (57.5 percent)
• Alabama (57 percent)
• New Hampshire (55.7 percent)

OUTBOUND:

• Illinois (62.4 percent)
• West Virginia (60.4 percent)
• Nebraska (60.3 percent)
• South Dakota (59.9 percent)
• Hawaii (59.8 percent)
• Indiana (59.7 percent)
• Delaware (59.6 percent)
• New York (59.2 percent)
• Louisiana (57.9 percent)
• Kansas (57.7 percent)

Former inbound states New Hampshire, Michigan and Florida became balanced in 2017, ending Florida’s former three-year streak of classifying as inbound. After spending 2016 as balanced states, Maine, Rhode Island, Alabama and Nevada became inbound while New Jersey, Oklahoma and Hawaii shifted to outbound. Lastly, Vermont changed from outbound to balanced in 2017.

In 2017, the total number of interstate and cross-border moves reached 72,986, down from 75,427 in 2016. With the inclusion of data from Atlas® Van Lines Canada, sister company of Atlas Van Lines, a total of 81,693 household moves occurred throughout North America in 2017.

International Top 10: Destinations & Origins

Atlas® World Group International conducted 7,748 international household goods moves in 2017, up from 7,165 in 2016. The top destination and origin locations for international moves completed by Atlas World Group International in 2017 include the following states and countries:

TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

1. Texas
2. California
3. Virginia
4. Germany
5. South Korea
6. Japan
7. Hawaii
8. Washington
9. Florida
10. England

TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL ORIGINS

1. South Korea
2. Germany
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Virginia
5. Japan
6. Okinawa
7. Texas
8. Hawaii
9. California
10. England

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