Where people from Virginia are moving
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When Virginians move out of state, they're usually headed toward the Sun Belt.
Why it matters: Moving overall is at an all-time low around the U.S., but there's been an uptick in state-to-state migration — and that can impact our workforce and tax base.
The big picture: Virginia was one of the states with the most people moving out between 2018 and 2022, per Census estimates.
- Pinning down the reason is challenging, but knowing where people are headed offers some clues.
Zoom in: The top states Virginians moved to were
- Florida (29,657 people)
- North Carolina (29,264)
- Maryland (24,629)
- California (18,220)
- and the Lone Star State: Texas (17,064).
When it comes down to counties, Virginians are more likely to move to D.C. (technically a city), San Diego, Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and … Honolulu, Hawaii.
How it works: The figures can be best understood as pooled averages covering the 2018-2022 timeframe.
Between the lines: A lot of that movement could be coming from Northern Virginia, which has increasingly seen people flee because of the growing cost of living and rise of remote work, per UVA's Weldon Cooper Center.
- The region also has a sizable contingent of military personnel (as do San Diego and Honolulu).
- And our Axios San Diego colleague Kate Murphy, a former NoVa resident, tells us California is expensive but with the beach, mountains and perfect weather, life feels like a vacation.
- Plus, "every conversation doesn't start with or revolve around your job."
Fun fact: Floridians love us.
- We're the fifth-most-moved-to state for Florida residents and third-most-moved-to state for people from North Carolina.
- We're the No. 1 pick for Marylanders and second for D.C. residents — maybe because they wanted taxation with representation.
Go deeper: Where out-of-state movers are going