Based on 71,474 Interstate and Cross-Border Household Goods Moves
from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
(Click on individual state/province for 10-year historical data.)
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Where is America moving?

As it does each January, Atlas Van Lines reviews data on the origins and destinations of interstate moves during the last 12 months. The 2009 Migration Patterns study results provide a snapshot of a nation in the wake of an economic downturn, as relocations slow and the nation migrates to areas with low unemployment.

Again this year, data showed the Midwest losing residents while the Southwest, Northeast and Southeast were popular destinations. Atlas’ total interstate and cross-border moves were down nearly 16 percent from 2008.

Other migration trends:

Southwest Fiesta

Texas, New Mexico, and for the first time in five years, Oklahoma are popular destinations. However, neighboring Colorado, which has historically been an inbound state, became balanced in its number of moves, meaning the numbers of people moving in and out were about equal.

Northeast and Southeast Lure

The South Atlantic states of Virginia, North Carolina and Washington D.C. are popular destinations, with Washington D.C. showing the nation’s highest percentage of inbound traffic for the fourth year in a row. For the first time in four years, Maryland joins the Southeast pocket of states as inbound.

In the Northeast, Vermont and New Hampshire have surfaced as popular destinations.

Rust Belt Woes

Outbound moves from the Rust Belt states continue, but for the first time in 10 years, Illinois joins neighbors Indiana, Michigan and Ohio as outbound. Indiana has been an outbound state for more than a decade while Michigan ranks in the top four outbound state