A Relocation State of Mind

An astonishing 35.9 million U.S. residents relocated between 2012 and 2013, according to U.S. Census Bureau reports. That’s 11.7 percent of all Americans!

United Van Lines' Annual Migration Study tracks the states its customers move to and from during the course of the year. After four straight years as runner-up, in 2013 Oregon finally made it to the winner’s circle as the top moving destination of 2013. And after 16 consecutive years as one of the top states people left, Michigan now shows much more balanced numbers.

As interesting as these statistics may be as you compare your own moves (for example, I just moved out of the #2 most-exited state in the country – Illinois), these external results are not what I’m most concerned with.

As Audrey McCollum found while doing research for her one-of-a-kind book, The Trauma of Moving, “Moving was viewed from the exterior. There seemed a dearth of material exploring moving from the interior; that is, moving as subjectively experienced by the mover while it was being lived.”

Since moving is such an emotional experience, it’s important for those who are relocated to feel justified in their grief or stressful feelings. Just because our culture has not yet given credence to this dynamic, does not make it unimportant.

In my own upcoming book, We’re Moving Where? Hit the Ground Running in the Board Room and Family Room, I am striving to educate on topics beyond moving and geography.

As I look at the migration study results, I wonder how many of these moves were a conscious choice, versus a corporate relocation that dictated your new zip code with no input from you. If you’ve had to move to a state you didn’t embrace, my congratulations to you for making it through and finding a way to call it home.

Moving In

The top inbound states of 2013 were:

1. Oregon


2. South Carolina


3. North Carolina


4. District of Columbia


5. South Dakota


6. Nevada


7. Texas


8. Colorado

Moving Out 

The top outbound states for 2013 were:

1. New Jersey


2. Illinois


3. New York


4. West Virginia


5. Connecticut


6. Utah


7. Kentucky


8. Massachusetts


9. New Mexico