Market Conditions, National

Several Southeastern States Top Relocation List for 2020

The beauty of Naples, FL
Published on January 18, 2021

In the recently released United Van Lines National Migration Study for 2020, several southeastern states found their way into the top 10 for both retirement and relocation.

The top relocation destinations in the southeast for 2020 were South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. Specific to retirement, Florida and South Carolina were virtually tied near the top with 39% and 38.5% respectively. This is first time Tennessee has appeared in the top 10 for inbound moves.

So where are all of these people coming from? The top “outbound mover” states were New Jersey (70%), New York (67%), Illinois (67%), Connecticut (63%) and California (59%).

According to Michael A. Stoll, an economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles: “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.”

He added, “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.”