No more California dreaming? A new study released by United Van Lines revealed that 58% of Californians relocated out of the state in 2023. Shockingly, those surveyed by the company revealed their top reason for moving out of California wasn’t due to cost, but rather for a job and/or family.
Here’s why those surveyed left CA:
- Family — 28.60%
- Job — 22.40%
- Retirement — 12.50%
- Lifestyle — 10.20%
- Cost — 8.40%
- Health — 3.10%
“We are continuing to see the trend that Americans are moving to more affordable, lower-density areas across the country, with many heading to Southern states,” United Van Lines Vice President of Corporate Communications Eily Cummings said. “Movers are also becoming more strategic with their planning, as relocation continues to be driven by factors such as the price of housing, regional climates, urban planning, and job growth.”
Although California gets a bad rep, it only takes the number six spot in comparison to New Jersey’s number one spot for most moved-out state in 2023.
The top states being moved out of in 2023 were:
- New Jersey
- Illinois
- North Dakota
- New York
- Michigan
- California
- Massachusetts
- Kansas
Now this begs the question, where are these seekers of change flocking to? Well, according to the analysis, more people moved to Vermont with 65% of moves being inbound. The Golden State’s inbound percentage was 42.5, meaning more folks moved out of California than moved in.
The top locations being moved into in 2023 were:
- Vermont
- Washington, D.C.
- South Carolina
- Arkansas
- Rhode Island
- North Carolina
- South Dakota
- Alabama
- New Mexico
- West Virginia
You can read the full study here.