Americans are moving south, permanently
Two separate studies have been published recently, have both identified Florida as the 5th most popular destination state for Americans relocating in 2021. The studies, carried out by United Van Lines and North American Moving Services studied the net migration into and out of various states using data on one-way van rentals.
In both cases, they revealed that Florida had the fifth highest rate of Americans moving into the state in 2021.
The findings confirm data reported by the US Census Bureau in December 2021 - it showed that in the previous 12 months, 220,890 Americans moved to Florida.
Analysis suggests that in the aftermath of the pandemic, with remote-working becoming the norm for many, there is no longer a need for workers to live in crowded, expensive urban areas - many more now enjoy the freedom to choose where they will live while still keeping their same job.
Moving south
As a result, it seems that Americans are drawn to the southern states - both surveys named Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina as destinations that have drawn high rates of net population growth, and Texas, Tennessee, New Mexico and Arizona featured in one or other study too.
Quality of life and cost of living
It seems that people have realized that for the most part, living in densely populated urban centers just to be near work is no longer necessary. What's more, it costs more to live in such places and the extra expense doesn't seem worth the price. It's perhaps for this reason that states like California, New York and New Jersey emerged as states that more people are leaving than moving into.
Factors like a more favorable climate, lower taxes and a reduced cost of living have all been identified as factors drawing Americans to southern states like Florida.
The negative effects
It's not all good news though - as much as it's good for Florida's economy and reputation as a desirable place to live.
The effects of population growth in the state are already being felt. The increased demand for housing means that landlords have been able to increase rent and still find people willing to pay. In some parts of Southern Florida, rents have increased by up to 30%, threatening many Floridians who cannot afford to pay, with homelessness.
Then there's the pressure on roads and infrastructure. Traffic on certain routes like I-95 is already extremely heavy, and having an additional 200,000 people with their cars places a further burden on the states roads.
The state is also experiencing the effects of global-warming and climate change, and large sums of money are having to be spent on measures to tackle rising sea levels and heightened risk of flooding. With more people in the state each year, the effects of increased emissions and more waste to dispose of could well increase the magnitude of challenges.
If one thing's certain though, it's that the numbers confirm what Floridians knew already - Florida is a great state to live in!
What do you think about the large numbers of people moving to Florida from elsewhere in the US? Do you feel that it's a positive, or are there other adverse effects? Let me know in the comments section below.
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