A seismic shift is reshaping America's population map, as millions pack their bags and head to the Sun Belt, leaving coastal powerhouses behind for warmer weather, lower costs, and new opportunities.
Key Takeaways
- Between 2010 and 2021, Texas gained a net of 1,062,000 domestic migrants from other states
- From July 2021 to July 2022, Florida experienced a net domestic migration gain of 234,901 residents
- California's net domestic out-migration reached 342,156 people between 2021 and 2022
- In 2021, 28.5 million Americans moved within the same county
- About 9.8 million people moved between different counties in the same state in 2021
- In 2022, intrastate migration accounted for 70% of all domestic moves in the US
- In 2021, median age of intrastate migrants was 32 years
- 38% of domestic migrants in 2021 were aged 25-44
- Women comprised 52% of all domestic movers in 2021
- In 2021, domestic migration reduced poverty rate by 0.5% in gaining states
- Net migration added $1.2 trillion to Southern states' GDP 2010-2020
- Out-migration from Northeast cost $800 billion in lost wages 2015-2022
- From 2010-2020, net migration reversed from +200k to -100k in Midwest
- Interstate migration peaked at 4.5 million in 2005, fell to 2.8M in 2021
- Post-COVID, domestic migration surged 20% in 2021 over 2020
Texas and Florida gained many residents while California and New York lost many.
Demographic Characteristics of Migrants
1In 2021, median age of intrastate migrants was 32 years
Verified238% of domestic migrants in 2021 were aged 25-44
Verified3Women comprised 52% of all domestic movers in 2021
Verified428% of movers were Hispanic in 2021 domestic migration
Directional5Non-Hispanic Whites made up 62% of domestic migrants in 2021
Single source6Blacks represented 13% of interstate migrants in 2021
Verified7Asians accounted for 6% of domestic movers in 2021
Verified845% of domestic migrants aged 25-34 were college-educated in 2021
Verified9Median household income of movers was $65,000 in 2021
Directional1055% of domestic migrants rented their previous home in 2021
Single source11Families with children under 18 were 32% of movers in 2021
Verified12Single-person households drove 41% of domestic migrations in 2021
Verified13Veterans comprised 7% of domestic migrants in 2021
Verified14In 2021, 22% of movers cited job changes as reason
Directional1518% of domestic migrants were recent college graduates in 2021
Single source16Foreign-born individuals had 10.2% mobility rate in domestic migration 2021
Verified17Native-born mobility rate was 11.8% for domestic moves in 2021
Verified18In 2021, 35% of Black migrants moved South domestically
Verified1948% of young migrants (18-24) moved for college in 2021
Directional20High-income households (>$100k) were 28% of movers in 2021
Single source21Low-income (<$25k) comprised 22% of domestic migrants 2021
VerifiedDemographic Characteristics of Migrants Interpretation
The great American shuffle reveals a story of young, restless renters—primarily women and diverse twenty- and thirty-somethings chasing education, jobs, and new starts—while painting a portrait of mobility that remains starkly unequal by race, income, and the choice between packing a family or going it alone.
Economic Impacts of Migration
1In 2021, domestic migration reduced poverty rate by 0.5% in gaining states
Verified2Net migration added $1.2 trillion to Southern states' GDP 2010-2020
Verified3Out-migration from Northeast cost $800 billion in lost wages 2015-2022
Verified4Migrants to Texas contributed 15% to state job growth in 2022
Directional5Florida's housing prices rose 20% due to net in-migration 2021-2022
Single source6California's out-migrants took $100 billion in income away in 2022
Verified7Domestic migration boosted labor force by 2 million in Sun Belt 2020-2022
Verified8Net migrants to low-tax states saved $50 billion in taxes 2021
Verified9In-migration increased school enrollment by 5% in Florida 2022
Directional10Out-migration reduced welfare costs by $10 billion in donor states 2021
Single source11Migrants filled 25% of tech jobs in Austin via domestic moves 2022
Verified12Domestic in-migration raised median wages 3% in Boise, ID 2021-2022
Verified13Net migration losses correlated with 1.2% GDP drop in NY 2022
Verified14Southern states gained $200 billion in federal tax refunds via migrants 2021
Directional15Migration shifted $300 billion in AGI to Sun Belt 2019-2022
Single source16In-migrants started 12% more businesses in gaining states 2021
Verified17Out-migration increased unemployment 0.8% in California 2022
Verified18Domestic migration added 1.5 million to workforce in Texas 2020-2022
Verified19Rent increases of 15% linked to in-migration in Phoenix 2022
Directional20Net domestic migration grew US GDP by 0.4% in 2022
Single sourceEconomic Impacts of Migration Interpretation
Americans are voting with their U-Hauls, shifting fortunes state by state in a monumental reshuffling of people, money, and power that is simultaneously revitalizing sunnier economies and leaving colder regions to reckon with the bill.
Interstate Migration Flows
1Between 2010 and 2021, Texas gained a net of 1,062,000 domestic migrants from other states
Verified2From July 2021 to July 2022, Florida experienced a net domestic migration gain of 234,901 residents
Verified3California's net domestic out-migration reached 342,156 people between 2021 and 2022
Verified4New York lost 236,945 domestic migrants to other states in 2022
Directional5Between 2018 and 2022, North Carolina had a net inflow of 418,000 domestic migrants
Single source6Illinois saw a net domestic migration loss of 118,000 from 2020 to 2022
Verified7From 2016 to 2021, Arizona gained 305,000 net domestic migrants
Verified8Georgia's net domestic migration gain was 152,000 between 2021 and 2022
Verified9From July 2020 to 2021, Tennessee added 79,000 net domestic migrants
Directional10Nevada's net domestic inflow was 48,000 in 2022
Single source11South Carolina gained 101,000 net domestic migrants from 2021-2022
Verified12Between 2019 and 2022, Idaho saw a net gain of 92,000 domestic migrants
Verified13Utah experienced a net domestic migration gain of 57,000 in 2022
Verified14Washington's net domestic out-migration was 22,000 from 2021-2022
Directional15Colorado gained 41,000 net domestic migrants in 2022
Single source16Massachusetts lost 57,000 domestic migrants net in 2022
Verified17New Jersey had a net domestic migration loss of 67,000 in 2022
Verified18Maryland's net loss was 19,000 domestic migrants in 2022
Verified19Oregon lost 17,000 net domestic migrants from 2021-2022
Directional20Connecticut's net domestic out-migration was 22,000 in 2022
Single source21Hawaii saw a net loss of 12,000 domestic migrants in 2022
Verified22New Mexico gained 11,000 net domestic migrants in 2022
Verified23Montana added 9,000 net domestic migrants from 2021-2022
Verified24Wyoming's net gain was 3,000 domestic migrants in 2022
Directional25South Dakota gained 12,000 net domestic migrants in 2022
Single source26North Dakota lost 2,000 net domestic migrants in 2022
Verified27Alaska had a net loss of 4,000 domestic migrants in 2022
Verified28Oklahoma gained 21,000 net domestic migrants in 2022
Verified29Arkansas added 14,000 net domestic migrants from 2021-2022
Directional30Kentucky's net gain was 10,000 domestic migrants in 2022
Single sourceInterstate Migration Flows Interpretation
The Sunbelt’s sunny appeal and lower costs are drawing a relentless, spreadsheet-driven evacuation from the traditional coastal powerhouses, as America’s workforce votes with its U-Haul.
Intrastate Migration Patterns
1In 2021, 28.5 million Americans moved within the same county
Verified2About 9.8 million people moved between different counties in the same state in 2021
Verified3In 2022, intrastate migration accounted for 70% of all domestic moves in the US
Verified4California had 1.2 million intrastate migrants in 2021, mostly within metro areas
Directional5Texas saw 850,000 intrastate moves in 2021, with 60% same-county
Single source6New York State had 450,000 intrastate migrants in 2021
Verified7Florida's intrastate migration totaled 620,000 in 2021
Verified8Illinois recorded 380,000 intrastate moves in 2021
Verified9Pennsylvania had 410,000 intrastate migrants in 2021
Directional10Ohio saw 370,000 intrastate migrations in 2021
Single source11Michigan's intrastate moves numbered 320,000 in 2021
Verified12Georgia had 420,000 intrastate migrants in 2021
Verified13North Carolina recorded 390,000 intrastate moves in 2021
Verified14In urban areas, 75% of intrastate moves were within the same metro in 2021
Directional15Rural intrastate migration rate was 11.3% in 2021
Single source16In the South, intrastate moves made up 72% of domestic migration in 2021
Verified17Midwest intrastate migration was 68% of total moves in 2021
Verified18West region saw 65% intrastate moves among domestic migrants in 2021
Verified19Northeast had 74% intrastate migration rate in 2021
Directional20Between 2017-2021, 52% of intrastate movers stayed in principal city
Single source2128% of intrastate migrants moved to suburbs in 2021
Verified22In 2021, young adults aged 25-34 drove 40% of intrastate moves
Verified23Rental households accounted for 55% of intrastate migrations in 2021
Verified24In 2021, 15.3% of the US population aged 1+ moved intrastate
Directional25Blacks had an intrastate mobility rate of 12.1% in 2021
Single source26Hispanics showed 14.5% intrastate migration rate in 2021
VerifiedIntrastate Migration Patterns Interpretation
Americans are a restless people, but the great migration of 2021 reveals a surprisingly homely truth: most of us are just shuffling the deck chairs within our own state, with young renters leading the charge to a slightly better deck, but rarely a different ship.
Trends Over Time
1From 2010-2020, net migration reversed from +200k to -100k in Midwest
Verified2Interstate migration peaked at 4.5 million in 2005, fell to 2.8M in 2021
Verified3Post-COVID, domestic migration surged 20% in 2021 over 2020
Verified4Net migration to suburbs rose 50% from 2019-2022
Directional5Sun Belt net gains tripled from 1M in 2010 to 3M in 2022
Single source6Pandemic accelerated retirement migration by 30% 2020-2022
Verified7Remote work drove 15% increase in non-metro migration 2021-2022
Verified8From 2000-2020, Rust Belt lost 5 million net domestically
Verified9Millennial migration shifted Southward 25% more since 2010
Directional10Overall mobility rate dropped from 12% in 2010 to 8.4% in 2022
Single source11Black return migration to South doubled from 1990-2020
Verified12Interstate moves for jobs fell 40% post-2008 recession
Verified13Housing affordability drove 35% migration shift 2015-2022
Verified14Net migration to high-growth metros up 18% 2018-2022
Directional15Climate migration increased coastal outflows 12% 2010-2022
Single source16Gen Z migration rates rose 22% post-2020
Verified17Pandemic reversed urban in-migration trend since 2010
Verified18Tax migration outflows from CA/NY up 50% 2019-2022
Verified19Rural rebound migration grew 28% 2020-2022
DirectionalTrends Over Time Interpretation
America, sensing a fever, appears to be self-medicating with a massive dose of sun, space, and quiet, leaving its old industrial veins and crowded coasts as it chases affordability and a back porch with a disturbingly pragmatic desperation.
Sources & References
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