United Way Research Mover Finds Many Saying 'Goodbye' to Michigan, Region
An analysis prepared by United Van Lines, the nation’s largest household goods mover, shows a growing number of Americans packing up their belongings and heading to the West and Southeast, leaving Michigan and neighboring states behind.
As part of its 30th annual “migration” study, the company analyzed households it assisted with moves in 2006, and the effect of Michigan’s continuing job losses is clear. United Van Lines found that the number of customers moving from the Central Northeast region, which includes Michigan, increased. The company tracks customer moves over 12 months, and reports on the communities that see large numbers of residents leave and their most popular destinations.
In its study, UVL identifies three categories -- high inbound (55 percent or more of moves going into a state), high outbound (55 percent or more of moves leaving a particular state) or balanced. Although the majority of states were in the balanced category last year, several showed more substantial population shifts.
States in the Central Northeast generally showed an outbound trend, according to UVL. Ranked No. 2 on the high outbound list in 2005, Michigan tied for the top spot last year with 66 percent of moves headed elsewhere. The 2006 rate is a 2.1 percent increase of over the prior year.
Other Central Northeast states that topped the outbound list include New York (59.5 percent), which has been a high outbound state since the survey was established, Indiana (58.2 percent), a high outbound state since 1993, and Illinois (55.7 percent), which has been on the list since the survey’s inception. Other list holdovers include New Jersey (60.9 percent, on high outbound list since 1997), Pennsylvania (57 percent, high outbound list for the past three years) and Ohio (55.8 percent, ranked since 1992).
The nation’s West and Southeast states were happy to receive in 2006. North Carolina emerged as the top Southeast destination (64.0 percent inbound) for UVL customers. Other Southeast states making the list include South Carolina (60.6 percent, and on the high-inbound list for 13th consecutive year), Alabama (57.5 percent, fourth appearance on the list) and Tennessee (55.8 percent in 2006). Although not considered high inbound states, others also welcomed large numbers of new residents. Georgia at 53.9 percent, continued its 25-year trend of high inbound volume, while Kentucky (52.9) percent is on a five-year and Mississippi (50.1 percent) saw its inbound rate last year rise 3.2 percent over 2005.
Movers are also going west, evident by the number headed to Oregon (62.5 percent high inbound, and a member of the list for 19 years). Nearby Nevada (59.9 percent), New Mexico (57.9 percent, a 3.7 percent increase), Utah (56.0 percent, up nearly 6 percent) and Arizona (55.4 percent) also made the list.
Idaho’s (59.3 percent inbound) ranking has held steady for the past 19 years, and Montana’s for five years (55.0 percent inbound).
Although not considered high inbound, other Western states experienced an increase over the prior year including Colorado (54.7 percent inbound), which saw a 1.2 percent increase, and Wyoming (54.4 percent inbound), which boasted a 4.3 percent rise.
