We’re No. 1 — for Moving Out. NJ Lost 54% More than Gained in ’21
No state in the country had a higher percentage of people who left versus those who moved in over the past year than New Jersey, according to HireAHelper.com's fourth annual Migration Report.
Taken as a ratio of all inbound and outbound moves among U.S. states, New Jersey gave up 53.4%, the only state whose number was 50% or more in the red.
California ranked second-worst, at 49.5%, based on the survey of 90,000 total moves nationwide.
Of all Americans that moved in the timeframe of the report, 17% moved to another state, the highest rate since 2015, and as high as 21% said COVID-19 was a factor.
The outmigration did not translate across the Hudson River. Thanks in part to New York City's 86.4% gain alone, the state of New York posted just over a 20% net loss.
Only 13 states had more people move in than out, according to the report, led by Arkansas with a 43.8% gain.
Florida, Texas, and California had the highest share of moves in 2021, HireAHelper said.