Lost to time: The Don Bolles files
State ranks third overall as moving destination
Tiny Prescott Valley was the epicenter of an Arizona real estate scheme reporter Don Bolles uncovered in the late 1960s. It ultimately put men in prison, cost investors hundreds of millions of dollars and left many with nearly worthless lots.
Arizona is gaining ground as a top moving destination, with job opportunities, retirement lifestyles and other factors luring newcomers.
Arizona ranked third overall as the top moving destination in 2019, according to an annual study by United Van Lines.
Last year, 63.2% of all Arizona moves were inbound compared to 36.8% that were outbound. Arizona rose two spots from the 2018 survey.
The top inbound states in 2019 were Idaho, with 67.4% of moves being inbound, followed by Oregon, Arizona, South Carolina and Washington. By contrast, New Jersey had the highest percentage of outbound moves for the second consecutive year, followed by Illinois, New York, Connecticut and Kansas, the study said.
Last year marked the first time Idaho led the list in more than 25 years.
The leading catalysts for moving to Arizona last year, according to people who made the switch, were retirement attractiveness, job opportunities and lifestyle changes.
Arizona, mountain states trend upward
Arizona has shown steady progress in attracting newcomers in recent years. For example, the percentage of inbound moves in 2019, 63.2%, compared to 53.5% five years earlier, when Arizona didn’t make the top-10 list. Arizona’s job growth and that of the Phoenix metro area in particular have been strong in recent years.
Overall, the trend has been one of Americans flocking to the Mountain West region more than any other, led in recent years by Idaho, Nevada and Arizona all making the list of top inbound states. Several Southern states also have enjoyed rising migration patterns.
United Van Lines’ lists of top and bottom states only include states where the company provided at least 250 moves last year.
Baby Boomers on the move
Another notable finding from the study: Baby Boomers switched states more than any generation last year.
“Key factors like the Baby Boomer generation re-locating upon reaching retirement age as well as states’ economic performances and housing costs drove these 2019 moving patterns,” said Michael Stoll, an economist and professor in the department of public policy at UCLA.
The study’s results are “consistent with the broader migration trends to western and southern regions that we’ve been seeing for several years,” he said.