Where Michiganders are moving
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.


When Michiganders move out of state, they often head for warmer weather and sunshine.
The big picture: Overall, moving rates are at a record low across the U.S., but state-to-state migration is on the rise — which can affect the workforce and tax base.
State of play: Florida was the top state for transplants, with 23,664 Michiganders moving there from 2018-2022.
- Texas was the fifth most popular state, with 9,326 people from Michigan who moved there.
Yes, but: Many people who have left didn't go far. Nearby Midwest states rounded out the top-five destinations for Michiganders who moved: Ohio (13,032), Indiana (10,134) and Illinois (9,547).
- Florida and Texas saw 32,990 Michiganders move there combined — a hair more than the Midwest trio of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, which received 32,713 Michiganders altogether, the data shows.
Zoom in: Illinois' Cook County, which includes Chicago, ranked as the top county Michiganders moved to, with more than 5,500 people. The other top counties and their cities were:
- Lucas County, Ohio (Toledo)
- Maricopa County, Ariz. (Phoenix)
- Lee County, Fla. (Fort Myers)
- Clark County, Nev. (Las Vegas)
The fine print: The maps are based on new 2018-2022 five-year state-to-county migration estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
- The estimates are best understood as a pooled average covering that time frame.
Why it matters: Michigan was among 14 states that lost residents from 2021-22, falling from 10.05 million people in 2021 to 10.03 in 2022, U.S. Census data shows.
- A report released in April raised more population loss concerns, warning that nearly 700,000 fewer residents could live here by 2050.
- The population decline has Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's attention — her administration has sought to reverse the trend by appointing a population czar and creating a bipartisan commission to identify a population goal.
Zoom out: Florida was the most popular destination for Ohioans and Pennsylvanians and it drew the second-highest number of transplants from neighboring Illinois and Indiana.
- Economist Sean Snaith told Voice of America last year the main reasons people move to Florida include weather, a strong labor market and no state income tax.
- The same principles apply to Texas.
Go deeper: Where out-of-state movers are going

