Is New Jersey Really The Most Moved From State?
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Recently, thanks to a study by United Van Lines, lots of folks (politicians, activists and even the news) have been talking about New Jersey being the most moved from state. The thing is, another national moving company, Atlas Van Lines did a study of their own. According to their study, “Based on 71,092 Interstate and Cross-border Household Goods Relocations from January 1, 2018 through December 15, 2018” West Virginia is the most moved from state while New Jersey ranks tenth on their list. West Virginia doesn’t appear on United’s top ten of moved from states.
United Van Lines vs Atlas Van Lines moved from states
I’m not saying New Jersey isn’t losing people. It is and has been. I have personally left, more than once. Most recently I fled to New Mexico for five years, I’ve also moved to PA, SC, WV and MI over the years. For some reason I always find myself back in NJ.
Every time I left it was for the usual reasons, work and affordability. My rent in NM was about half of my rent here in NJ and I had a better view and a bigger place out west.
That said, what really led me to look in to whether or not New Jersey is truly the most moved from state is that according to the widely cited United Van Lines study the most moved to state is Vermont. That made absolutely no sense to me. I know several people who have left New Jersey and not one of them went to Vermont.
The Atlas Van Lines study claims Nevada is the most moved to state. That makes more sense to me, I actually know people who moved there from New Jersey.
United Van Lines vs Atlas Van Lines moved to states
Maybe New Jersey is the most moved from state in the nation, maybe it isn’t, it’s hard to tell. It appears United has twice as many trucks as Atlas, so United probably moved more people. There are also lots of folks who choose to move themselves, when I moved back to NJ I did it with a friend and a Budget rental truck. That was an experience!
About the only thing that is clear is after looking at the United vs Atlas moving survey and a little bit of U.S. census data and the Move.org website New Jersey definitely is in the top ten of moved from states and that’s not a good thing.
Move.org moved from states
Oddly, it appears Vermont may actually be one of the top ten moved to states.
Move.org moved to states
One has to wonder what Vermont has that New Jersey doesn’t. Maybe it’s the maple syrup?
As we head into the 2019 election season those who govern New Jersey, and those who want to govern, better figure out how to stop people from fleeing New Jersey. Perhaps stop taxing the residents to death and find a way to make Jersey more affordable. Just looking at the moved to and from data, it is obvious, New Jersey is not affordable. That means the state’s economy is something candidates will likely have to talk about in this election cycle. Making New Jersey affordable might be the key to winning elections this year.
