South Carolina ranked third in inbound moves during 2021, says United Van Lines study

South Carolina ranked third among all states in the U.S. in inbound moves during 2021, according to United Van Lines’ annual study of state-to-state migration patterns.

The 45th Annual National Movers Study determined Vermont as the state with the highest percentage of inbound migration (74 percent) with United Van Lines. Topping the list of outbound locations was New Jersey (71 percent), which has held the spot for the past four years.

At 63 percent, South Carolina ranked third behind South Dakota (69 percent). The Palmetto State ranked second on the 2020 study.

The top inbound states of 2021 were Vermont, South Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Oregon, Idaho and Rhode Island.

In addition to the state-by-state data, United Van Lines also conducts an accompanying survey to examine the motivations and influences for Americans’ interstate moves. This year’s survey results indicated 31.8 percent of Americans who moved did so to be closer to family – a new trend coming out of the coronavirus pandemic as priorities and lifestyle choices shift.

Additionally, 32.5 percent of Americans moved for a new job or job transfer, a significant decrease from 2015, when more than 60 percent of Americans cited a job or transfer.

In South Carolina, retirement was the number one reason for moving to the state at 36.56 percent, followed by: family, 28.85 percent; lifestyle, 23.66 percent, job, 19.18 percent; cost, 13.26 percent, and health, 4.66 percent.

Reasons people left South Carolina during 2021 were: family, 43.67 percent; job, 35.1 percent; retirement, 11.43 percent; lifestyle, 10.20 percent; health, 8.57 percent; and cost, .82 percent.

Of the top 10 inbound states, six — Vermont, South Dakota, West Virginia, Alabama, Oregon and Idaho — are among the 20 least densely populated states in America, with less than 100 people per square mile. Tennessee and South Carolina are among the top 25.

The top outbound states for 2021 were New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Ohio and Nebraska.