Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia were among the few sections of the country which saw more people moving in than moving out in 2011, according to a report from Evansville, Indiana-based moving company Atlas Van Lines. According to a press release issued on January 3, 2012, Washington DC had the highest percentage of inbound moves for the sixth consecutive year while Ohio once again saw the highest percentage of outbound moves.
While nearly half the country was able to remain balanced over the past year, only nine states (and the District of Columbia) had more inbound than outbound residents. According to the Atlas website, Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia have all had more inbound migration than outbound each year since 2002.
Forbes credited the good news for Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC to “government-driven growth has remained robust even during the recession.” As this map from real estate data aggregator RealtyTrac shows, perhaps the comparatively lower amount of homeowners needing foreclosure help contributed to those inbound decisions:
Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC also had less residents completing a Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy process, contributing to a lower bankruptcy filings per capita rate than many of the outbound states. What else do you think might have contributed to the three states attracting more residents than it lost?
