The 2021 Atlas® Van Lines Migration Patterns Study found that 20 U.S. states were found to be balanced in nature, meaning the inbound and outbound moves were relatively equal. The data also showed that 12 U.S. states were classified as outbound, meaning more people moved out of the state rather than in, and 18 U.S. states were classified as inbound, meaning more people moved into the state rather than out. The data also reflected an increase in moves from 2020 to 2021. Atlas® has conducted the annual study since 1993 tracking the nation’s interstate (between states), cross-border (U.S. to Canada only), and international (between countries) moves managed by Atlas®.

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound and outbound moves in 2021 are included in order below, with Maine ranking as the study’s inbound leader for the first time, following Idaho’s two-year run as the country’s inbound leader. New York was once again the country’s outbound-move leader in 2021, a designation it has now held for three years running.

Holding its inbound status for a second consecutive year, Utah has earned a spot on the top inbound list for the first time. In 2021, Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, and Florida achieved inbound status for the first time since 2002, 2003, 2013, and 2016, respectively. Alternatively, California earned an outbound status for the second consecutive year, after holding a balanced status from 1995 to 2019. In addition to New York, states with a consistent presence on the leading outbound list include New Jersey, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia.