Boomers on the Move Retiree Migration Patterns

Retirees continue long-established migration patterns to relocate from colder weather and high-tax states. They often flee to states with warmer climates and a better quality of life, as well as lower taxes. Each winter at the Ideal-LIVING Resort & Retirement Shows, we survey attendees to determine their preferences for finding their ideal destination. In addition to our surveys, we extrapolate data from other national sources that track migration patterns, including the United Van Lines Annual National Movers Study that confirmed the baby boomer generation moved more than any other age group last year and accounted for more than 45% of all inbound United Van Lines moves in 2019. And, for the second consecutive year, the study found that more residents moved out of New Jersey than any other state.

2019 United Van Lines National Movers Study

By Kelly Godbey

The United Van Lines’ study confirms the mass exodus from Northeastern states such as New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut were among the top 10 outbound states for the fifth consecutive year as were the midwestern states of Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, and Michigan. At the same time, California has both the second-highest inbound and outbound moves. As Baby Boomers relocate to warmer destinations in the southern and western regions, the top reasons as cited by the study were for retirement or a new job/company transfer.