
A new study reveals that New Jersey is once again ranked as a top state that Americans are moving out of. According to the annual North American Van Lines 2022 Migration Moving Report, NJ is number 3 on the list of states people are leaving.
Illinois was the top state people are leaving (for the ninth year in a row) while California came in at number 2 on the list. In 2022, Americans moved to escape high-cost-of-living areas and to warmer climates with more reasonable housing options. This is the fourth year in a row NJ topped the list of states people were moving away from.
“The chosen states for inbound moving migration predominantly reside in the south,” say the study authors. “Whether it’s a coincidence or not, many of these states were among the first to lessen Covid-19 regulations.”
It’s also possible that an increase in remote work has led people to move since there is often no need to reside where you work. Many of the states people moved to carry a smaller tax burden. The top inbound states were South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona and Florida.
Interestingly, the number of people that moved in 2022 was lower than in previous years. For the study, the authors looked at population reports and spoke to the top companies in the moving industry to get insider knowledge. They looked at the cities that have seen the most considerable growth and then investigated the underlying causes.