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Arizona Ranks 10th in National Survey

03-13-2017About MortgagesEddie Knoell

Spring is springing and as we exit recession, America’s population is on the move. But where is everyone going?

A recent survey by United Van Lines indicates they’re mostly moving to western states. Arizona ranked as the 10th most popular place in America to which to move, just behind Washington and Nevada.

According to the survey, Arizona is one of several western states experiencing net in-migration, with 57% of survey respondents indicating they were moving to Arizona, compared to 43% moving out of the state. The most popular state to move to overall was South Dakota with 68% net in-migration, likely due its growing oil shale business.

Reasons given by survey respondents for moving to Arizona?

  • Job – 40%
  • Retirement – 30%
  • Family – 20%
  • Lifestyle – 16%
  • Health – 7%

Consistent with Arizona’s reputation as a retirement destination, the survey indicates that more than 60% of the people moving to Arizona were over the age of 55.

Millennials and younger movers, however, are leaving the state in greater numbers than they are entering it. While just 22% of survey respondents under the age of 44 indicated they were moving to Arizona, 33% of respondents in this age group indicated they were leaving the state, the majority for job-related reasons.

Trends Within Arizona, by County

What about migration trends within Arizona? The United Van Lines survey is only broken down by state, but a study released in May 2016 by the WP Carey School of Business at ASU notes that the majority of migration to Arizona is concentrated in Pinal and Maricopa counties. Prior to the 1990s, more than 95% of net migration to Arizona was concentrated in Maricopa, but as the urban area has extended into Pinal, Pinal is now the county with the highest rate of net immigration, at more than 85%.

A statistic that likely comes as no surprise to anyone working in the Phoenix Valley’s real estate industry is Arizona’s overall trend toward urbanization. Urban areas are becoming denser, while rural areas are losing population. According to the WP Carey study, Arizona’s more rural counties (Apache, Greenlee, Gila and Navajo) are experiencing net outmigration, particularly among younger movers, while urban counties are experiencing net in-migration.

Both of these studies are worth a look if you’re interested in gaining a better understanding of who is moving where. Have a great week!

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