These Cities Have the Most People Moving In During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of people around the world in numerous ways. In the United States, one of the effects, despite these times of great uncertainty, is that thousands of people have moved out of their cities during the pandemic. Another is that more and more people have the flexibility to move because they are now working remotely.

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It’s no surprise that people fled states with higher populations and higher rates of COVID-19, particularly big urban centers. Cities like San Francisco and New York lost 80% more people to moving out than they gained from those moving in. Los Angeles had an exodus of 70% more people, and Miami had 53% more people leave it than move into it.

Though a pandemic doesn’t seem like a great time to move, according to HireAHelper’s migration report, 15% of Americans who made one of these moves in the first six months of 2020 reported doing so because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For this piece, GOBankingRates used HireAHelper’s data on moves this year, along with October unemployment rates and other data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to chart the seven U.S. cities with the greatest rate of people moving in during the pandemic.

Take a closer look at where people are moving to right now.

Jacksonville, Florida

• How many more people moved in than out: 3%
• April unemployment rate: 11.2%
• October unemployment rate: 5%

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Colorado Springs, Colorado

• How many more people moved in than out: 4%
• April unemployment rate: 12.6%
• October unemployment rate: 6%

Chandler, Arizona

• How many more people moved in than out: 5%
• April unemployment rate: 12.5%
• October unemployment rate: 7.5%

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Charlotte, North Carolina

• How many more people moved in than out: 7%
• April unemployment rate: 12.7%
• October unemployment rate: 6%

Columbus, Ohio

• How many more people moved in than out: 13%
• April unemployment rate: 13.7%
• October unemployment rate: 4.9%

Read More: The Most and Least Expensive States To Work From Home

Durham, North Carolina

• How many more people moved in than out: 17%
• April unemployment rate: 9.6%
• October unemployment rate: 5.3%

Scottsdale, Arizona

• How many more people moved in than out: 68%
• April unemployment rate: 12.5%
• October unemployment rate: 7.5%

Cities Where More People Are Moving Out Than In

• San Francisco: -80%
• New York: -80%
• Arlington, Virginia: -78%
• Los Angeles: -70%
• Alexandria, Virginia: -63%
• Sacramento, California: -61%
• Washington: -58%
• Cleveland: -57%
• Miami: -53%

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Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates looked at HireAHelper’s data on moves this year, gathered through their online bookings March 11 – June 30, and a July survey. We compiled a list of all cities with positive net moves according to HireAHelper and found the April and October unemployment rate in each city’s corresponding Metropolitan Statistical Area according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. All information was collected and up-to-date as of Dec. 3, 2020.

About the Author

Jordan Rosenfeld

Jordan Rosenfeld is a freelance writer and author of nine books. She holds a B.A. from Sonoma State University and an MFA from Bennington College. Her articles and essays about finances and other topics has appeared in a wide range of publications and clients, including The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GoBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, Ozy, Paypal, The Washington Post and for numerous business clients. As someone who had to learn many of her lessons about money the hard way, she enjoys writing about personal finance to empower and educate people on how to make the most of what they have and live a better quality of life.

 

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