The top 10 states people are flocking to
- Moving out of a city isn't new, but people are going more rural, a study found.
- Midwestern and southern states with smaller populations are attracting more residents.
Urban to suburban migration was a common theme during the pandemic, as remote-friendly opportunities opened up a new market for workers to stretch their legs.
Now, people are going even farther outside of the suburbs, particularly to rural states like Idaho and Montana, a new report says.
Smaller states mostly in the South and Midwest are experiencing higher net migration rates per 1,000 residents, according to a report by StorageCafe analyzing data from its sister division Yardi Matrix, as well as US Census data.
All 10 states on the list have populations under 8 million, according to Census estimates for 2022.
This recent crop of movers are motivated by factors outside of home prices and proximity to work — like lifestyle, Doug Ressler, the business intelligence manager at Yardi Matrix, told Insider.
"Montana, Idaho, and Vermont, you can see that in terms of lifestyle really lends itself — it's picturesque," he said. "And you don't have the larger cores and you don't have commute times."
The Sunbelt has dominated in attracting new residents, but those looking for wide-open spaces are also eyeing more northern states like Montana, Vermont, and Idaho — all places with populations below 2 million.
"People don't want to just exist in a place where they live, like an apartment or a home," Ressler said. "They really want more lifestyle advantages, leisure types of things like trails and hiking. That is really driving a lot of what we see in a lot of these less dense areas around the states."
Here are the 10 states that are leading the rankings in net migration, according to StorageCafe.
10. Oklahoma
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 9.63
Average household income: $80,792
Unemployment rate: 2.7%
Median home value: $167,039
Average rent: $979
9. Tennessee
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 9.91
Average household income: $89,538
Unemployment rate: 3.2%
Median home value: $232,630
Average rent: $1,482
8. North Dakota
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 12.32
Average household income: $95,130
Unemployment rate: 2.0%
Median home value: $219,939
Average rent: $1,044
7. Arizona
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 12.49
Average household income: $99,518
Unemployment rate: 3.5%
Median home value: $330,065
Average rent: $1,611
6. Nevada
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 14.46
Average household income: $96,977
Unemployment rate: 5.4%
Median home value: $371,642
Average rent: $1,512
5. Maine
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 15.07
Average household income: $98,701
Unemployment rate: 2.4%
Median home value: $251,469
Average rent: $1,852
4. South Carolina
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 15.09
Average household income: $85,682
Unemployment rate: 3.1%
Median home value: $208,903
Average rent: $1,567
3. Montana
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 17.91
Average household income: $94,510
Unemployment rate: 2.4%
Median home value: $319,228
Average rent: $1,578
2. Vermont
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 23.99
Average household income: $99,485
Unemployment rate: 1.9%
Median home value: $270,708
Average rent: $1,903
1. Idaho
Net migration per 1,000 residents: 24.54
Average household income: $96,736
Unemployment rate: 2.7%
Median home value: $366,120
Average rent: $1,595
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