More People Leaving NJ, Fewer Moving In: Study

NEW JERSEY— More people moved out of New Jersey than moved into the Garden State in 2020, according to a study released Monday.

United Van Lines, which sponsored the study, said that 3,770 (or 70.5 percent) of its 5,348 total shipments handled in New Jersey last year were out-bound shipments, with a large majority of residents 55 or older representing those moving out.

In fact, 67.68 percent of out-bound shipments belonged to those over the age of 55.

New Jersey has topped the list for four years in a row.

Former New Jersey residents who left in 2020 listed retirement (32.59 percent), family reasons (27.41 percent) and lifestyle changes (25.52 percent) 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 New Jersey.

Vermont, South Dakota, West Virginia and other states on the top 10 list for inbound migration tended to be more rural than the outbound migration list.

Read the complete study.