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How COVID-19 Is Driving Migration Trends

According to a recent report published by HireAHelper.com, Americans are on the move amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The website’s report lays out which locations are seeing inbound migration as Americans put down new roots.

It is no surprise that the arrival of COVID-19 has put a pinch on many Americans’ wallets, as well as being a catalyst for moves driven by health or economic realities. The report reveals that 15% of all moves occurring between the months of January and June of this year were directly attributed to pandemic-related pressures.

Among these findings, 37% of movers were recorded as taking the plunge due to the fact that they simply could not afford to remain living in their current abodes. Regarding the areas that experienced the most migration (the most residents who chose to move to other locales), the previously trendy and popular enclaves of San Francisco and New York were among the top. Specifically, each of these metros saw 80% more people moving away than relocating to them.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the city that saw the most new residents to arrive and put down new roots within it was Scottsdale, Arizona. It was recorded that an impressive 68% more people moved to the area versus moved away.

The report also studied the numbers broken down by states, with the title for top destination (according to the number of overall move-ins ) being sunny Florida and Nebraska. A noteworthy factor that most likely contributed to Nebraska’s specific draw was the fact that it is one of the few states that did not issue a statewide stay-at-home order. A final state that drew Americans to it was Idaho, which reported a staggering 194% more people moving into it versus moving out.

Safety was a primary factor cited by the survey, unsurprisingly. A third of those surveyed said they had moved to shelter in place with loved ones, while 24% reported that they did not feel safe in their home prior to the move. Twenty-three percent said they were moving to a destination with fewer COVID cases.

As for the study's methodology, the report explains that "HireAHelper examined the origin, destination, and distance of each moving job since the official declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020. The study also compares year-over-year moving activity between 2020 and 2019 covering the period of March 11 to June 30. Additional data sources include PEW Research and a HireAHelper user survey carried out in July 2020."

About Author: Andy Beth Miller

Andy Beth Miller is an experienced freelance editor and writer. Her main focus is travel writing, and when she is not typing away from her computer at her home in the Hawaiian Islands, she is regularly roaming the world as a digital nomad, and loving every minute of it. She has been published in myriad online and print magazines, is a fan of all things outdoors, and finds life (and all of its business, technological, and cultural facets) fascinating in their constant evolution. She is excited to spectate as the world changes, and have a job that allows her to bring a detailed account of those constant shifts to her readers at home and abroad.
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