Let's think about the data from United Van Lines summarized in the previous post. California was a big loser in the west, and the winners from that were OR, ID, AZ, and to a lesser extent, NV. WY and WA.
In mid-nation, the big losers were IL and OH, plus several northeastern states lost big: NY, NJ, CT, MA, and MD. The gainers out of this were FL, NC, SC, TN, AR, and AL. Even though United doesn't list TX, we certainly hear it has been a major gainer as well, perhaps the U-Haul data will show it.
Some of this movement was pushed along by urban dwellers wanting space as a result of the Covid plague, or deciding to work from home in another state, or both. Some people sought a lower cost of living, lower state and local taxes, or both. And some were motivated by skyrocketing home prices near the large cities.
Cities proved to be dangerous places when contagion was a life-and-death issue. The increase of violent crime in large cities must also have been a factor. And some of the movement was motivated by Democrats and Republicans sorting themselves out into regions with similar values, into red and blue bubbles.
