Analysis: Pandemic Pressed Fast Forward on U.S. Migration Trends

In Las Vegas, Denver, Philadelphia, and more, out of town newcomers have been driving up real estate prices by moving in from more expensive locations with the resources to outspend locals, according to analysis by the Business Journals.

2 minute read

September 4, 2022, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Las Vegas Sprawl

trekandshoot / Shutterstock

In a paywalled article for the Business Journals, Ashley Fahey shares data that reveals trends in domestic migration—namely from more expensive to less expensive metropolitan areas.

Fahey starts with the example of Las Vegas, and a pandemic influx of residents from the Los Angeles area:

Between Dec. 31, 2020, and July 31, 2022, the median home value of Clark County, Nevada, where Las Vegas is located, increased 44.6%, from $313,778 to $453,764, according to Zillow Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ZG) data.

Heading into (and during the first year of) the pandemic, Clark County saw the largest number of out-of-state relocations from a single county — Los Angeles County, California — than any other in the U.S., with 6,856 tax filers moving from Los Angeles to Clark counties in 2019 and 2020, according to an analysis of U.S. Census and Internal Revenue Service data by The Business Journals.

The data behind those paragraphs allows for more national analysis that might be worth the price of admission for some readers. While the Las Vegas to Los Angeles leads the list of largest out of state migration patterns in 2019 and 2020, next up are Prince George’s County, Maryland and Washington, D.C., followed by Lake County, Indiana and Cook County, Illinois; Hudson County, New Jersey and New York County, New York; and Maricopa County, Arizona and Los Angeles County.

Fahey’s conclusion after parsing all this data: the trends I migration seen in the early months of the pandemic might not have been new, but the pandemic did press pass forward—the counties and cities on the receiving end of these population shifts might have had more time to prepare if these changes had happened at a more normal pace.

Thursday, September 1, 2022 in The Business Journals

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Empty parking garage at night with yellow lines marking spots and fluorescent lighting

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City

In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

March 16, 2023 - The New York Times

A futuristic version of New York City, with plants growing neatly on top of modern skycrapers.

Friday Eye Candy: 20 AI-Generated Cityscapes

AI-generated images are creating new landscapes and cityscapes, capable of inspiring awe or fear.

March 17, 2023 - Chris Steins via Medium

View of street in Chinatown, San Francisco with cars parked along curb and red Chinese lanterns hanging above street

Study: Autonomous Cars Won’t Solve the Parking Problem

In hyper-dense cities where incentives to reduce car use and eliminate parking are already high, mass adoption of AVs won’t significantly reduce parking demand.

8 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

A group of wetsuit-clad swimmers gathers to talk in shallow water near the shore of the San Francisco Bay.

Proposed Pool Would Make an Olympic-Sized Play Area in the San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Bay is usually an undesirable place to swim, except for a hearty few. A development proposal seeking assistance at the state level would add a pool to the Bay’s waters to make the idea of going for a swim more appealing.

March 24 - The Mercury News

Chicago elevated train over busy city street surrounded by high-rise buildings

Chicagoland Transit Agencies Call for State Funding as Budget Shortfall Looms

Illinois transit agencies want to see changes to a law requiring them to collect half of their revenue from transit fares, arguing that low ridership and staffing shortages will lead to a massive budget gap without intervention.

March 24 - Crain's Chicago Business

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.