(The Center Square) — Two moving companies have offered reports on moving trends for Alabama in the past year, though neither lines up very well with federal data that measured a larger time period.
Alabama had the ninth-largest amount of new residents moving from other states, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census. The time period measured was April 1, 2020, through July 1 of last year.
In that time, the state grew by 96,538 new residents from other states. That pushed the population to an estimated 5.1 million.
Annual reports from major moving companies U-Haul and Allied Van Lines measure calendar year 2023. Each uses its sales in methodology measures, with U-Haul saying, “U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth.”
U-Haul ranked Alabama 22nd in its annual U-Haul Growth Index. It was No. 20 a year earlier. The company’s index for moving to states put Texas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee in the top five, respectively. The states with the most outbound moves using U-Haul were California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan.
In the 2023 Allied Van Lines U.S. Migration report, 54% of Alabama moves handled by the moving company were inbound and 46% outbound. The company’s inbound numbers were highest for South Carolina, Arizona, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida, respectively.
Among its neighbors, Mississippi (48.4% inbound, 51.65% outbound) and Georgia (53.2% inbound, 46.8% outbound) were further down the list for inbound moves using Allied.
The company says the states where the most residents moved were Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Washington. The company’s 2023 interstate moves were down 12% following a 20% decline in 2022.
The report authors say fluctuating mortgage interest rates is one of the reasons migration between states slowed. Mortgage rates, after plunging to record lows during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, have increased.