New Census Data Shows a Return to Old Domestic Migration Patterns

Emily Badger and Darla Cameron provide analysis of new population data from the U.S. Census data to show which states people are moving to and from, identifying a return to pre-recession trends around the Midwest and the Sun Belt:

"New census data shows the trend accelerating back to its pre-recession pace. Florida, which actually lost more domestic movers than it gained right after the housing bubble burst, picked up about 200,000 net new movers between 2014 and 2015 (this number includes people who move between states, not immigration into the United States from abroad). Illinois, meanwhile, had a net loss of about 105,000 residents, its largest one-year population leak in the 21st century."

A little more evidence to make the case:

"The other big gains over the past year were Texas (170,000 new migrants), Colorado (54,00o), and Arizona and South Carolina (both with more than 45,000 each). Not a single state in the Northeast or Midwest gained domestic movers over the last year."

The article also provides insight into the implications and causes of the shifts, as well as some important distinctions about domestic migration.