The events of 2020 influenced lots of our decisions – including decisions about moving – with many people changing jobs or their jobs becoming partially or fully remote. People were definitely packing up their U-Hauls + hitting the road.

So, how did people move last year?

We took a look at United Van Lines’ National Migration Study, which shows where and also why Americans moved in the year 2020. What do those stats look like for North Carolina? If you remember back in October, we told you all about how Asheville was becoming a “Zoom Town” as people were moving to our area as a result of remote work being on the rise. But let’s take a closer look at our state’s 2020 moving patterns.

Let’s break it down.

Total percentage of inbound migration: 60.2%

Total percentage of outbound migration: 39.8%

Factors for migration both inbound + outbound were: retirement, health, family, lifestyle, and job, with job being the biggest reason for both inbound and outbound movers.

Over 30% of folks both moving to NC in 2020 were aged 65+, while almost 28% of folks moving from the Tar Heel state in 2020 were aged 65+.

Income for North Carolina movers in 2020 | Image from the United Van Lines’ National Migration Study

The highest income range for both inbound and outbound movers for NC in 2020 was an income of $150,000 or more.

According to the study, North Carolina ranks among the top inbound states alongside states like Oregon, South Dakota, and Arizona. Some states experiencing the largest exoduses were New York, Illinois, Connecticut, and California.