Michigan a top state to leave in 2021

A new report shows more people are leaving Michigan than moving in

Michigan was the sixth most moved-from state in 2021 according to an annual report by moving company United Van Lines. 57.7% of the company’s Michigan moves were outbound while only 42.3% were inbound.

Respondents listed their top reason for leaving Michigan was for a job (33.6%) followed by family (27.9%), retirement (26.9%), lifestyle (16.4%), health (5.7%) and cost (1.8%). Family was the top reason people moved to Michigan in 2021 (48.2%). The report also showed that high earners were more likely to leave the state than those who earned less with 39% of respondents making more than $150,000 per year.

Only New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Connecticut and California had a larger ratio of people leaving the state to people moving in. While those same states made up the top five states people left in 2020, Michigan did not even crack the top ten last year with a more balanced 50.2% of moves being outbound. That list was an anomaly as Michigan did appear on the top outbound lists in 2019 (in which in ranked eighth) and 2018 (ranked tenth).

“For 45 years now, our annual United Van Lines study, with its data-driven insights, has allowed us to explore a deeper understanding of Americans’ overall migration patterns,” said Eily Cummings, director of corporate communications at United Van Lines. “As the pandemic continues to impact our day-to-day, we’re seeing that lifestyle changes — including the increased ability to work from home — and wanting to be closer to family are key factors in why Americans are moving today.”

Kentucky and Wyoming were the most balanced states. They saw a nearly even percentage of inbound and outbound moves.  As for the states to which people are moving, seven of the top ten states in 2021– South Dakota, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, Idaho – also made the list of the top ten states with the most inbound moves in 2020.

As Michigan becomes a staple of the outbound list, ranking higher in recent years – Michigan’s leadership needs to look at why – and what they can do to change it.