Arizona named most popular state to move to in 2022

Americans moved along the Sunbelt for a lower cost of living

Arizona was the state with the highest percentage of inbound moves last year, according to a new report.

Moving company Allied Van Lines released its annual migration report on Thursday, showing that Arizona, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas were the top relocation destination states. 

Meanwhile, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey were the states with the most departures.

The report also found that 20% fewer Americans moved in 2022 than in the two previous years. That was due to factors such as rising rents, falling wages, interest rates and inflation.

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An aerial view of Tucson, Arizona

Aerial view of the northwest portion of the Tucson basin populated by enormous subdivisions in Marana, Pima County, Arizona. ((Photo by: Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

"Those who could afford to relocate, moved south and settled along the Sunbelt, which offered stronger economic opportunities and a lower cost of living than the West Coast or Northeast," the company said. 

The demand caused housing prices to rise in the most moved-to states.

Notably, Allied Van Lines said that few major metro areas saw significant population growth, with most Americans moving to the suburbs. 

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The top inbound cities included Tucson, Arizona; Sarasota, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. New York City; Anaheim, California; San Diego, Chicago and Riverside; California were the top outbound cities. 

Crescent Beach in Sarasota, Florida

Crescent Beach, located just south of St. Augustine, Florida. ((Photo by: Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) / Getty Images)

Work and family are still the biggest reasons for moving, although weather and access to nature were smaller, but significant factors as well.

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Data was provided for all interstate moves that were loaded from Jan. 1, 2016, to Nov. 14, 2022. To maintain comparability with the time frame covered in 2022, only moves loaded by Nov. 14 of each year were included.