A new study found that Arkansas, known for its natural beauty, was the most popular state to move to in 2024, with Americans citing job opportunities, proximity to friends and family and affordability as top motivators for the move.
According to the annual Migration Patterns Study by national carrier Atlas Van Lines, the 2024 data shows the highest number of “balanced” states in the past five years, meaning a relatively equal number of people move in and out. outside the states.
The study found that 2024 also brought the lowest number of exiting countries in more than five years, suggesting that many people may not move at all.
Atlas Van Lines suggested that these numbers are likely the result of the “lock-in effect,” in which low-interest mortgages hold homeowners and drive home prices higher.
Rhode Island came in at no. 2 for incoming states, followed by North Carolina, Washington, DC, (technically not a state), Idaho, Tennessee, Maine, Connecticut, Washington state and Alaska.
The study does not rank states by the actual number of people who have moved in or out, but instead calculates the highest percentage of inbound and outbound movements within the past year—based on the total number of shipments multiplied by 0.55 (ie, in a state with 100 moves, at least 55 must be out to be considered out).
The study showed that increases in return-to-office (RTO) mandates from Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Walmart and CVS are matched by the top entry states of Arkansas, Rhode Island and Washington.
Atlas COO Ryan McConnell told Fox News Digital he wasn’t surprised to see Arkansas at the top of the list, citing positive indicators on affordability, interest rates and home inventory and prices.
Corporate giants like Walmart and Tyson Foods have long been headquartered in the state and have made major investments there.
“What you see in that state is a good cost of living, low crime rates and a lot of green space if you’ve been to the Northwest,” he said. “You’re seeing corporate America congregate there, which is actually driving some of that in-state migration. . . . A lot of what we see from an interstate mobility perspective is job-driven.”
Louisiana topped the list of states that left, with Americans citing a tough job market and rising costs of living.
The Bayou State is followed by California, Illinois, South Dakota and New York as the largest exiting states in 2024.
“Three of the most populous and most expensive states to live in – California, Illinois and New York – were on this year’s list.
Illinois and New York have remained firmly on the outside list for more than five years, but California was balanced from 2022 to 2024.
Its return to the outside list, when many other states are balanced, is noteworthy,” said a press release from Atlas Van Lines.
In August 2024, Atlas surveyed 1,135 consumers who had moved in the past three years, either by themselves or with a moving service.
The results show that 32% moved for a new job, 25% moved to be closer to friends or family and 10% moved for affordability reasons.
The remaining 33% cited reasons including climate/weather, safety, relationship changes, education, retirement or health reasons.
In 2023, Maine was the highest inbound state in the United States, while Illinois was the highest outbound state.
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