The AMSA (American Moving & Storage Association) recently released Industry Trends, a report on data and trends in the moving industry. Sound boring? You got it – lucky for you I dug up the good stuff.
Here are the data points I looked at:
Inbound = People moving in to a city
Outbound = People moving out of a city
Corporate (NAC, in moving lingo) = People whose move is paid for by their company
Household (COD, in moving lingo) = People paying for their own move
Most Popular Cities
| City | % of inbound moves |
|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 66.8% |
| Denver, CO | 58.4% |
| Austin, TX | 58.1% |
| Dallas, TX | 57.7% |
Most Unpopular Cities
| City | % of outbound moves |
|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | 63.3% |
| Albany, NY | 61.4% |
| Buffalo, NY | 60.8% |
| San Bernadino, CA | 60.1% |
| Fresno, CA | 60.0% |
| New York, NY | 58.7% |
| Cleveland, OH | 58.2% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 57.2% |
| Los Angeles, CA | 56.8% |
While I’m sure Detroit at the top of this list needs no explanation, California and New York cities might surprise you. However, these are simply reflections of the current economy with high unemployment rates expected for both states in 2009. Other factors include high prices of diesel and gas, conditions in the housing market (especially California), declining tax revenues and state budget deficits (again, California).
Corporate Moves (NAC) vs. Residential Moves (COD)
Lots of corporate in and corporate out:
Chicago, IL (53.0%, 50.5%)
Philadelphia, PA (52.0%, 51.4%)
Lots of residential in, corporate out:
Atlanta, GA (49.0%, 52.9%)
Dallas, TX (45.9%, 52.6%)
Lots of corporate in, residential out:
New York, NY (53.0%, 56.3%)
San Francisco, CA (51.0%, 56.1%)
Lots of residential in and residential out:
Phoenix, AZ (58.85%, 58.8%)
Again, we see New York and California with a big portion of corporate sponsored moves in to NYC and SF, along with lots of private residential moves out (presumably people who’ve had to move out because of the high cost of living and competitive job markets).
Atlanta and Dallas show popularity among residential moves, probably because they are a bit more affordable compared to the other major metropolitan areas. Finally, Phoenix shows lots of residential moves in and out, most likely due to its high senior population and affordable real estate.
Resources:
AMSA Industry Trends
