Florida may be seeing high numbers of COVID-19 cases, but that hasn’t stopped house hunters from rushing to the Sunshine State. Florida has been the top destination to move to during the pandemic, according to HireAHelper’s newly released migration report, which is based on more than 25,000 moves booked since March 11. HireAHelper is an online marketplace for finding and booking moving transportation services.
Fifteen percent of moves booked so far during the pandemic through HireAHelper’s platform were due to consumers wanting to relocate due to COVID-19, the study found. Their top motivations to move were due to income loss, safety perceptions, and being able to shelter in place with family and friends. A small percentage—6%—said they wanted to move to a place with fewer COVID-19 restrictions.
City dwellers—like those in San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles—were the most likely to relocate, according to the study. For example, since the pandemic began, about 64% more people have left New York and California than have moved in, according to the study.
“The pandemic has clearly had an impact on U.S. migration, particularly among more densely populated locations and places where political ideology played a factor,” says Mike Glanz, president of HireAHelper.
Some states are quickly gaining residents during the pandemic. For example, Idaho had nearly triple as many people move in than move out. New Mexico (up 44%), Delaware (up 30%), and South Carolina (up 26%) also saw significantly more people move to these states than move away, according to the study.
View this state by state breakdown to see how moves during the pandemic are faring in your area.A Flourish map
Source: “Report: Where Americans Are Moving During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” HireAHelper (2020)
