Since January 1993, Atlas® Van Lines has reviewed and released data on the origins and destinations of interstate moves throughout the previous calendar year. The 2016 Migration Patterns study results provide a snapshot of relocation patterns. This year, 26 states registered as balanced— meaning that moves in and out of the states were roughly equal—15 as outbound, and 9 as inbound, in addition to Washington, D.C. Furthermore, the data showed the overall number of moves was down from 2015.

In 2016, the total number of Atlas interstate and interprovincial moves reached 75,427, down from 77,705 in 2015. For the first time ever, Idaho registered as the study’s inbound leader, while California, Texas, and Florida saw the highest total number of moves for the fifth consecutive year. Three of the Canadian provinces registered changes from 2015 to 2016, with Newfoundland and Labrador moving from balanced to inbound. Nova Scotia shifted from balanced to outbound, and Prince Edward Island moved from balanced to inbound in 2016.