The Reasons People Moved Into/Out of Iowa in 2020

2020 was a year of change for a lot of folks. This week, United Van Lines released their 44^th Annual National Migration Study to discover where and why Americans moved last year, and determine if and how the coronavirus pandemic played a part in those decisions to relocate.

According to the study, more people moved to Iowa last year than moved out of Iowa, but not by a whole lot. 52.1% were inbound, while 47.9% were outbound. When it comes to the primary reasons for moving, more people moved to Iowa because of retirement, health, and family, and more people left Iowa because of work and "lifestyle."

The study also found that, yes, the coronavirus pandemic did play a big part in some people's decision to move. For example, a lot of major cities saw more folks moving out than moving in. The article reads:

"For customers who cited COVID-19 as an influence on their move in 2020, the top reasons associated with COVID-19 were concerns for personal and family health and wellbeing (60%); desires to be closer to family (59%); 57% moved due to changes in employment status or work arrangement (including the ability to work remotely); and 53% desired a lifestyle change or improvement of quality of life."

In 2020, the states that saw a lot of people leave were New Jersey, New York, and Illinois. The states where a lot of people moved in were Idaho, South Carolina, and Oregon.

I moved to Iowa from Michigan in November of 2014 for work. I was a little hesitant at first, because I assumed it was all cows and cornfields, but I have grown to love it, and so have all of my friends and family members that have come to visit.

Are you an Iowa transplant? If so, when did you move here and what do you like or dislike about it? Let us know in the comments below!