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2022 was a unique year in many respects. The world began to emerge from the pandemic, Ukraine was invaded, and the after-effects really took hold. In terms of the stock market, 2022 was the worst-performing year since 2008. The Dow finished the year down 8.8%, the S&P 500 plummeted by 19.4%, and the Nasdaq culminated a miserable 12 months falling 33.1%.

Amidst such chaos, US domestic migration was equally chaotic. Folks and businesses move between states for several reasons. We’ve always had a degree of migration, but 2022 was amped up to historic levels.

California lost the most residents to other states – 343,230 to be exact. New York followed with 299,557, and Illinois rounded out the top 3 having lost 141,656. The winning states were typically those with lower taxes, a higher standard of living, and more affordable housing. Florida was the big winner drawing in 318,855 newcomers, with Texas coming in second (230,961), and then North Carolina with 99,796 new residents in 2022.

In terms of overall population growth (new births included), Texas holds the top trophy with 470,708 new residents, followed by Florida with 416,754, and North Carolina at 133,088. In terms of regional trends, the Pacific Northwest revealed some interesting data. For example, between 2010 and 2020 Washington state attracted 371,258 newcomers. In 2022, however, Washington lost 3,580 residents, the first such loss in a decade. Oregon also lost more folks than in previous years and pundits believe the mounting disorder in cities like Portland and Seattle was the likely culprit.

In terms of new arrivals to the Sun Belt states, the Midwest and Northeast states had always been reliable candidates. But this exodus to Sun Belt states accelerated in 2022 when cities like Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, and Phoenix saw an inflow of folks from San Francisco and New York City like never before.

On the business side, workforce employment grew in states like Idaho (7%), Utah (6.7%), Florida (5.5%), and Georgia (23.6%). Unemployment in Miami, for example, was 1.8% in November while in Los Angeles and New York City, it was 4.9% and 5.8% respectively.

For those states that are losing folks, the message is clear – most people aren’t fond of crime, high taxes, and burdensome regulation. High taxes are fine if residents are seeing their tax dollars put to work – less social disorder and cleaner streets. But that is not occurring in most of the cities that have lost folks in 2022. As always, a new year awaits.

Whether we want to admit it or not, times are changing. The United States is going through a definite transformation on many levels. Political, economic, sociological, and cultural. These changes are in no small part due to COVID-19, and all its effects on the general economy and business practices. And one of the more notable changes is that more and more people are working remotely. So, will remote work lead to vast migration in the US, or will things go back to standard work practices once we have COVID-19 under control? Well, let’s find out.

The impact of COVID-19 on general job practices

To understand why remote work is changing the US, we first need to explore how COVID-19 has impacted it. After all, it is no coincidence that there is an astounding spike in the number of remote workers ever since COVID-19 forced us into lockdown. So, is remote work a temporary struggle that people wish to get out of as soon as possible? Or did COVID-19 open our eyes to new job opportunities?

The benefits of working from home

First and foremost, there is hardly a remote worker that won’t emphasize the benefits of working from home. To begin with, you don’t have to struggle with daily traffic. Next, you can wear pretty much whatever you want. Also, there is no need to socialize with coworkers that you don’t like. You have more freedom to organize your time. Finally, you can enjoy home-meals instead of eating fast food or at-work cafeteria.

Are there downsides to remote work? Sure. But, the benefits outweigh them so much that people wonder, “Why haven’t we done this sooner?”. Well, one of the reasons for this is that employers were worried about productivity. And this is precisely what they had to overcome during the COVID-19 pandemic. They had to learn how to manage their staff remotely, ensuring that everyone is doing their job.

Improved monitoring software

Another surprising spike came in the form of monitoring software. Once employers figured out that they need to have most, if not their entire workforce at home, they concluded that having monitoring software was a must. Apart from constant monitoring, you have daily reports, weekly meetings, and improved communication systems to ensure that workers are doing what they are supposed to when they are supposed to. Add to that increased data security and improved worker motivation and, hey presto. Remote work becomes not only functional but quite effective. So much so that most companies either saw no change or an increase in work performance. So, does this mean that remote work will lead to vast migration?

Reasons why remote work might lead to vast migration

As of now, the answer is definitely leaning towards yes. This, of course, depends on what you mean by “vast.” But, if 14 million US are vast enough for you, then yes. Whether this is a permanent migration or whether people will migrate back after coronavirus blows over is hard to tell. But, if we have to give an answer, we would put our money or permanent change. Here is why.

The coming of 5G

One of the main limitations of permanent remote work was that the internet was not good enough. Sure, you can have a stable connection if you live in a big city. But, the smaller towns in the US have been notorious for having slow, unstable internet. Well, if 5G delivers what they promise, we should experience faster, more stable internet, even in smaller cities. Mobile devices should have constant coverage, which will make reaching remote workers that much easier. On the other hand, remote workers won’t have to worry about installing expensive internet packages to have a stable connection, as it will be quite widespread.

Increase in freelance work

Of course, not all jobs can be done remotely. Some simply require you to be there in person to get anything done. But, over the past couple of years, there has been a definite increase in online freelance work. Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Toptal all provide a safe and easy way for freelancers to find a job. So, not only are people getting better at working from home, but companies are finding more and more ways to find workers. This increase in freelance work gives both companies and workers the freedom to choose and learn like they never did before.

Where do people migrate to?

Until recently, the main migration for people was from smaller cities to larger ones to find better-paid jobs. Now, we should see people going back to their hometowns. After all, why pay high rent and utility bills when you can go back home and easily save hundreds of dollars monthly. This train of thought lead many Americans to head back home and enjoy a quieter lifestyle. As it turns out, remote work is also excellent for people that want to practice farming on the side or live in secluded areas, as they don’t have to worry about finding work in the local area.

Final thoughts

In our view, the fact that remote work leads to vast migration is a good thing. Remote work gives people the freedom to live where they want to live. And as far as we are concerned, the more freedom people have, the better. Mind you, we wouldn’t be surprised if remote work changes in the upcoming years, as the whole concept of if being this massive is quite new. But, we are hopeful that those changes will be for the better.

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Anthony Clark has worked as a business manager and consultant for over 15 years. After moving back to his home town, his primary focus has been on writing helpful articles about moving for websites like highqualitymovingcompany.com and raising his daughters.

Winners and Losers from US 2022 Domestic Migration