(NewsNation) — Migration patterns have shifted significantly in recent years, according to a recent report.
Storage Café, an online platform that provides storage unit listings across the nation, found that the United States’ Mountain West region has became “a magnet” for Americans seeking to move.
Idaho topped the list with the highest net migration per capita. For every 1,000 people living in Idaho, approximately 25 new people moved there in 2021.
That’s five times more new people, per capita, moving compared to what Texas experienced in the same year. Vermont, Montana, South Carolina, Nevada and Arizona were other states that also experienced migration popularity in 2021.
Meanwhile, Alaska, New York, Illinois and California continued to lose residents, each experiencing double-digit negative net migration.
“The main reasons people move have always been strongly connected to the job and housing markets. The post-pandemic period is no exception, and it only amplified what most people already had on their checklists,” Storage Café author Maria Gatea said.
Doug Ressler of the real estate site Yardi Matrix said that remote work has become a significant factor in shaping current housing preferences.
"On the one hand, you have the aging millennials who are in prime homebuying years and seek more relaxed surroundings. For those spending more time at home, amenities such as a dedicated home office and a larger yard are increasingly desirable, which oftentimes means relocating farther away from busy urban hotspots. This is one of the main drivers of the massive flow to less densely populated locations like Idaho and Maine. Of those who moved from California to Idaho, for instance, 16% are working from home," Ressler said.
He also noted that there are younger millennials and Gen Z who value an active social life, and they're willing to compromise on living space.
"Developers are delivering apartments with a single bedroom and a den, or which have a small footprint but come with more expansive common areas. Working-from-anywhere in this case translates into urban-to-urban moving routes, often from former epicenters like San Francisco and San Jose to places that are still brimming with opportunities at a slightly lower cost of living, like Austin, Texas.” he added.
