America’s largest removal company, United Van Lines, released its 44th Annual National Migration Study, revealing in 2020, Americans continued to move westbound and southbound.

This year’s survey results indicated 40% of Americans who moved did so for a new job or job transfer (down from prior years), and more than one in four (27%) moved to be closer to family (which is significantly up over prior years).

Data from March to October 2020 also revealed the COVID-19 pandemic influenced Americans’ decisions to move. For customers who cited COVID-19 as an influence on their move in 2020, the top reasons associated with COVID-19 were concerns for personal and family health and wellbeing (60%); desires to be closer to family (59%); 57% moved due to changes in employment status or work arrangement (including the ability to work remotely); and 53% desired a lifestyle change or improvement of quality of life.

8 of the 12 states with the highest COVID death rates per 100,000 are Democrat-run. Conversely 7 of the smallest rates were also Democrat-controlled. Note this is not sheer numbers. So even South Dakota (R) which has had no lockdowns and a 171/100,000 death rate due to COVID, ranked 4th in net migration.

United classifies states as “high inbound” if 55% or more of the moves are going into a state. 11 of 17 states that fell into that category were Republican-controlled.

In states where at least 250 total moves were made, Republican-controlled states accounted for 10 of the top 12 inbound destinations. Democrat-controlled states accounted for 7 out of 12 in the net outbound category.

Florida (R) took in the most new inbound moves with a net 2,354. North Carolina (D) +1,370, Arizona (R) +1,071, Texas (R) +1,053 and South Carolina (R) +900.

California (D) the worst with -2,888 (net outbound), followed by Illinois (D) -1,898, New Jersey (D) -1,377 and New York (D) -993.

In gross figures, Republican-held states captured net 6,117 inbound moves with Democrat-controlled states seeing net 5,688 inbound moves in 2020.

What will 2021 bring?