South Carolina Was One of the Most Popular Moving Destinations in 2020

2020 was a year filled with uncertainty and change for many people. In addition, millions of people picked up their lives and moved across the country. 

The United Van Lines recently released their 44th Annual Nation Migration Study, which highlighted an ongoing trend of Americans moving to either westbound or southbound, with South Carolina being named the second most popular moving destination.

Idaho topped the list of highest percentage of inbound migration (70%), while South Carolina came in a close second (64%) followed by Oregon (63%), South Dakota (62%) and Arizona (62%). 

The study indicated that the majority of migrations were primarily due to individuals’ jobs – people finding a new job or receiving a job transfer. In South Carolina’s case, more people moved to the Palmetto State due to retirement (38%), work (26%), family (19%) and lifestyle (18%). 

The states with the greatest number of outbound migrations included New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Connecticut and California.

In a statement on this year’s findings, Eily Cummings, director of corporate communications at United Van Lines said, “As the largest household goods mover in the country, United Van Lines’ data-driven insights uniquely point to national trends and, this year particularly, the resounding impact of COVID-19 on moving choices and the moving industry. For example, as more people experience job and lifestyle changes amid the pandemic like remote working, we’re seeing they have more flexibility in where they can live – many choosing to move from urban to more rural areas.”