The events of 2020 influenced lots of our decisions – especially 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 South Carolina? If you remember back in November, we told you all about how Greenville 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.

Reasons for South Carolina moving in 2020 | Image from the United Van Lines’ National Migration Study

Let’s break it down.

Total percentage of inbound migration: 64%

Total percentage of outbound migration: 36%

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

Over 30% of folks both moving to and from the state of SC in 2020 were aged 65+.

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

According to the study, South 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.