More People Leaving Maryland, Fewer Moving In: Study

MARYLAND — More people left Maryland permanently than moved into the state in 2021, according to a study released last week.

United Van Lines, which sponsored the study, said 48 percent of the 4,675 total shipments it handled in Maryland last year were inbound shipments, while 52 percent were outbound.

These six states — New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, California and Michigan — had the highest outbound migration percentages in 2021.

Maryland was 35th on the inbound list in 2021.

In comparison, No. 1-ranked Vermont had 74 percent of its shipments inbound, compared with 26 percent outbound.

Former Maryland residents who left in 2021 listed retirement (28%), a new job or transfer (39%) and family reasons (28%) as the main reason for their move.

But the study echoes earlier warnings that the trend for more remote work and the state's high housing costs could fuel more outward migration from Maryland.

This year’s survey results indicated 31.8 percent of Americans who moved did so in order to
be closer to family — a new trend coming out of the pandemic as priorities and lifestyle choices
shift, United Van Lines said in a press release. Additionally, 32.5 percent of Americans moved for a new job or job transfer, a significant decrease from 2015, when more than 60 percent of Americans cited a job or transfer.

“This new data from United Van Lines is indicative of COVID-19’s impact on domestic migration
patterns, with 2021 bringing an acceleration of moves to smaller, midsized towns and cities,”
Michael A. Stoll, economist and professor in the Department of Public Policy at the University of
California, Los Angeles, said in the news release.

“We’re seeing this not only occur because of Americans’ desire to leave high density areas due to risk of infection, but also due to the transformation of how we’re able to work, with more flexibility to work remote,” he said.

The top inbound states of 2021 were:

1. Vermont
2. South Dakota
3. South Carolina
4. West Virginia
5. Florida
6. Alabama
7. Tennessee
8. Oregon
9. Idaho
10. Rhode Island

The states gaining residents tended to be more rural than the outbound migration list. For a second straight year, Massachusetts was 47th on the list for inbound migration.

The top states losing residents for 2021 were:

1. New Jersey
2. Illinois
3. New York
4. Connecticut
5. California
6. Michigan
7. Massachusetts
8. Louisiana
9. Ohio
10. Nebraska

Read the complete study.