The pandemic created upheaval in multiple areas of Americans’ lives last year, including where they live and how they work. The overall volume of moves was down last year due to the complexity created by the virus, but the patterns were both enlightening and harbingers of things to come. While the US population is always mobile in response to economic conditions and preferences, a recent survey by Hire a Helper found that about a quarter of 2020 moves were related to COVID-19, with the most commonly cited reasons being (1) escaping the worst of the pandemic, (2) losing a job or income, and (3) sheltering-in-place with or taking care of family.
Much of this movement has been from the densest cities to more affordable areas. Data from U-Haul shows that Tennessee had the largest net gain based on one-way truck movements, followed by Texas and Florida. Texas has ranked first or second for the past five years, due largely to a healthy economy. Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, and Georgia also ranked highly, while Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, and California fell at the other end of the spectrum.
Another reason has emerged for relocating during the pandemic – the flexibility of working from home. As technology fosters jobs largely independent of specific locations, many are rethinking where they want to live. The survey noted above found that, of those moving in 2020 due to COVID-19, 28% indicated that they no longer had to be close to work. Another study found that 14-23 million Americans planned to move due to expanded options for working virtually.
