How fast are people moving to S.D.? Depends on who you ask

South Dakota was among the top states for relocation last year according to one moving company’s survey — but just middle of the pack in another.

The state came in No. 8 for in-migration according to the Annual National Movers Study from United Van Lines, with 58.5 percent in-migration, meaning for every 100 people who made a move to or from South Dakota, 58.5 percent were moving in, while 41.5 percent were moving out.

Vermont had the highest percentage of inbound migration at 77 percent for the second consecutive year, while more residents moved out of New Jersey than any other state.

The study and its accompanying survey, which examines the motivations and influences for Americans’ interstate moves, also revealed more baby boomers and Gen Xers moved than any other age group last year, as those 55 and older accounted for more than 55 percent of all inbound United Van Lines moves in 2022.

That’s also the case in South Dakota, where more than three out of four people who moved to the state were at least 55. Five percent were 44 or younger.

Retirement also played a key role in people moving to the state, with one in three coming here for that reason. More than half of those who moved out did so because of a job-related move.

“Key factors like retirement, wanting to be closer to family and lifestyle changes influenced by the pandemic along with current housing prices drove moving patterns in 2022,” said Michael Stoll, economist and professor in the department of public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The United Van Lines study encompasses data that Americans are now moving from bigger to smaller cities, mostly in the South, some in the West, but even an increase of migration to the Northeast, which has not been typical. We’re also seeing younger millennials migrating to vibrant, metropolitan economies, like Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon.”

Maybe not surprisingly, the newest South Dakotans are higher-income earners. More than half earned at least $100,000 a year.

Other recent hot spots such as Idaho dropped from the list as the cost of living increased.

“With an influx of new residents, housing prices and other living costs start to increase over time, and these popular destinations become hot spots for inflation,” said Ely Cummings, United Van Lines vice president of corporate communications. “As a result, the study underscored that Americans are moving from expensive cities to lower-density, more affordable regions.”

Of the top 10 inbound states, four — Vermont, Oregon, South Dakota and New Mexico — are among the least densely populated states in America, with less than 100 people per square mile, the report added.

Different perspective

But if they are moving to South Dakota in disproportionate numbers, the state’s new residents might not be using U-Haul trucks.

South Dakota is the No. 31 growth state in America, according to the U-Haul Growth Index ,analyzing customer moves during 2022.

People arriving in South Dakota in one-way U-Haul trucks fell 4 percent from 2021, while departures remained about the same year over year.

Despite a greater annual drop in arrivals, do-it-yourself movers arriving in South Dakota still accounted for 50.1 percent of all one-way U-Haul truck traffic in and out of the state, while 49.9 percent were departures. South Dakota slipped 20 spots from its No. 11 ranking among growth states in 2021.

Texas is the No. 1 growth state for the second consecutive year and the fifth time since 2016, according to U-Haul. Florida, which ranks second, has been a top-three growth state seven years in a row.

Virginia and Alabama are the biggest risers, climbing 26 spots from their respective 2021 rankings. New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Illinois and California are the bottom five states for growth in 2022.

“The 2022 trends in migration followed very similar patterns to 2021 with Texas, Florida, the Carolinas and the Southwest continuing to see solid growth,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president. “We still have areas with strong demand for one-way rentals. While overall migration in 2021 was record-breaking, we continue to experience significant customer demand to move out of some geographic areas to destinations at the top of our growth list.”

Neither study breaks down in-migration by city. Last week, Sioux Falls officials reported the city added an estimated 6,284 residents last year, bringing the estimated population total to 208,884. Population growth was slightly lower than 2021, which saw a record 6,750 people move to Sioux Falls.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported South Dakota’s estimated population increased 1.5 percent from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2022, reaching nearly 910,000 and ranking as the fifth fastest-growing state by percentage.

It’s the largest increase of any state in the Midwest, which, as a region, saw a decline in population.

South Dakota’s rate of population increase was exceeded only by that of Florida, Idaho, South Carolina and Texas.

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