Relocating in Retirement: Where Did Retirees Move in 2018?

401k, retirement, retirees relocating

The appeal of Vermont is abundantly apparent.

Retirees are on the move, with many fleeing the Northeast (except Vermont) and Midwest to start a new chapter in life in southern and western states.

New Jersey experienced the greatest mass exodus, according to data from United Van Lines. In its annual National Movers Study, Connecticut and New York were also included among the top 10 states with the most outbound moves.

Meanwhile, movers flocked in droves to Mountain West and Pacific West states like Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Washington and South Dakota. And southern locales, such as the Carolinas, experienced high percentages of inbound migration, too.

“As the nation’s largest household goods mover, our study allows us to identify the most and least popular states for residential relocation throughout the country, year after year,” Eily Cummings, director of corporate communications at United Van Lines, said in a statement. “These findings accurately reflect not only where Americans are moving to and from, but also the reasons why.”

Americans cited job changes (46.6 percent) and retirement (22.3 percent) most when explaining their reasoning for packing up and starting over someplace new.

“The data collected by United Van Lines aligns with longer-term migration patterns to southern and western states, trends driven by factors like job growth, lower costs of living, state budgetary challenges and more temperate climates,” explained Michael Stoll, economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Unlike a few decades ago, retirees are leaving California, instead choosing other states in the Pacific West and Mountain West. We’re also seeing young professionals migrating to vibrant, metropolitan economies, like Washington, D.C. and Seattle.”

Moving In

The top inbound states of 2018 were:

  1. Vermont
  2. Oregon
  3. Idaho
  4. Nevada
  5. Arizona
  6. South Carolina
  7. Washington
  8. North Carolina
  9. South Dakota
  10. District of Columbia

Moving Out

The top outbound states for 2018 were:

  1. New Jersey
  2. Illinois
  3. Connecticut
  4. New York
  5. Kansas
  6. Ohio
  7. Massachusetts
  8. Iowa
  9. Montana
  10. Michigan
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