I suspect this has multiple factors, but I noted Covid Restrictions and Taxes as primary drivers :
1) did you live in a place with more rigid Covid restrictions or fewer?
2) did you live in a place with higher or lower taxes?
#2 didn't drive as many people as #1, but those who could escape restrictions and lower their taxes did so. I-95 was a one-way outlet out of the NE as Covid continued in the late summer of 2020 and Florida had fewer restrictions.
people who could work from home did. Covid changed so many parts of our lives forever.
Seeking flexibility or escape from corporate bureaucracy, employees are discovering their inner entrepreneur to start businesses ranging from advertising to handling e-commerce logistics out of their homes.
www.wsj.com
If your state had both more rigid Covid restrictions and high taxes (CA, NY, NJ, MA, IL), you most likely had an exodus.
The pandemic has accelerated changes in the way we live and work, making it far easier for people to move—and they have. As states work to maintain their competitive advantage, they should pay attention to where people are moving, and try to understand why.
taxfoundation.org
We have the exact opposite problem in Charleston, SC. It started in the summer of 2020 when the Northeast continued its lockdowns in the summer of 2020 with fewer restrictions in the Southeast. In early April and through May 2020 restaurants and clubs closed for eight weeks, then all opened back up. Like Florida, SC had far fewer Covid restrictions than the states of NY, NJ, MA, CT.
People moved during covid for a variety of reasons, including working from home. But most states with more restrictions during covid saw population decreases. Oregon didn't not. Nor did Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island.
Our clubs started getting new members at a torrent pace in 2020. They have more members than they can handle and have restricted teams in two of the clubs I was a member of for 11 years. I stopped my membership at the home of the Credit One (previously Volvo Car Open) unable to get to court many times and unable to get away from work. I flew more (blocked more hours and made more money from June 2020 to Dec 2020, than I have ever flown in 17 years Jan-Dec. Unable to get time off from work and unable to get a court when I was home, made that decision easy.
In April of 2021, nearly I year ago, I went to an outdoor Grace Potter Concert. Life had come back here with concerts. This is how life was very different than those living in places with more restrictions. This was very different from the West Coast and the Northeast US
Ear For Music , AC Entertainment & REV Federal Credit Union are thrilled to welcome Grace Potter to Safe Sounds 2.0! PRESALE: March 24 / 12pm ET ONSALE: March 26 / 10am ET
www.earformusic.com
The U.S. Census Bureau put that loss at more than 319,000 New Yorkers between July 2020 and July 2021 - the highest of any state in the nation.
www.wwnytv.com
New entrances to the state have dropped in every California county since the end of March 2020, according to the nonpartisan California Policy Lab.
www.latimes.com
Americans moving to new states in 2021 opted in large numbers for uncrowded destinations, according to a study by United Van Lines.
www.newsnationnow.com
Charleston has been invaded by the yellow plates (license) of NJ (yellow & black), NY (yellow & blue).
At least
@Creighton moved from SC to PA (blue, white, and yellow).
www.creditonecharlestonopen.com
