MOVING TIME: You Know Where the Vans Are Headed

When was the last time you rented a U-Haul? You know those big moving vans, not a pickup truck for weekend projects. I’m guessing it was to move a son or daughter or perhaps your family. I’ve rented a big moving van twice in my lifetime, and both were big moves.

The first time was moving from Boston to the suburbs when I was working at Fidelity Investments and bought a multi-family. The second was when we moved into our home in Newport, RI. Typically, when you rent big moving vans, it’s a big, big, deal. You’re leaving one life behind for a new one. It’s not like the flocks of snowbirds departing from Boston’s Logan airport for Miami at the first sign of frost. This is M-O-V-I-N-G.

And because of Covid, you leave the city. You look for places where you can afford a house, a yard, and a dog. That math doesn’t work in cities, and it certainly doesn’t work in many of the blue-state city burbs like San Fran or NYC. And in places like Chicago, no one wants to teach the kids anyway, at least not in person. What’s the point?

Action Line: Study Your Survival Guy’s 2022 Super States below, and get ahead of the trend. This is a huge trend with far-reaching tentacles. It’s never too early to look for a better America.

It’s Movin’ Time.

Check out this WSJ article The Great Pandemic Migration, II – WSJ

Data keep piling up on where Americans are moving, and the pattern is clear. In the second year of the pandemic, people continued to ditch the coasts and Great Lakes in favor of less dense, more affordable climes.

That’s the finding of the latest National Movers Study, released Monday by moving company United Van Lines. The survey ranks the states that drew large shares of move-ins in 2021, with a corresponding list of the biggest losers.

The largest net gain belonged to Vermont, where 74% of moves were inbound. The rest of the top five includes South Dakota (69%), South Carolina (63%), West Virginia (63%) and Florida (62%).

One common theme is affordability. West Virginia, South Dakota and South Carolina all placed in the bottom third of states by median home price, according to the index site World Population Review. Nearly half of the moves into Vermont and Florida that the survey captured were among households earning more than $150,000 a year, likely relocating from pricey spots in the Northeast.

New Jersey was the biggest loser for the fourth consecutive year, with 71% of its moves heading out. Next on the departures list were Illinois (67%), New York (63%), Connecticut (60%) and California (59%). The trend here is easy to spot. The states Americans left in droves are among the most expensive in the country. Home costs are high in part because of zoning and regulations. These states also have some of the highest tax burdens.

The popularity of the Sunbelt is often chalked up to nicer weather, but that can’t account for the trend toward Idaho, the Great Plains and western New England. No matter the weather, the top states for movers have more open spaces compared with the states that lost residents. This low density often corresponds to lower crime as well as greater resistance to pandemic lockdowns.

Americans vote with their feet, as well as their wallets and ballots. They are sending a message to high-tax, ill-governed states.

Your Survival Guy’s 2022 Super States

Last year my post on Super States was one of my most popular. Americans are looking to move to places where they are free and respected by their politicians. This year, I’ve refined the list and dialed in its focus to bring you the best states for freedom in 2022. Here are Your Survival Guy’s Super States of 2022: