Americans who moved to a different state, to where and why?

27 comments

1. Texas to South Carolina- Parents got back together

   South Carolina to Texas- Parents separated again

   Texas to Michigan- Grandparents moved back to Michigan from Texas and my mom followed them for the free childcare

2. Military…see flare.

3. South Carolina to Pennsylvania: I moved for work

4. From my home state of New Mexico to Oklahoma, the job market was bad in NM and I was unemployed so I moved to Oklahoma got a job. If NM would focus on its crime rate, Drug problems, and economy instead of trying to be a knockoff California I would love to move back. Oklahoma is great and I’m happy here but I miss the desert and my culture.

5. New Jersey to Colorado for college.

   Colorado to Ohio to start my career.

   Ohio to North Carolina for a better job opportunity and a state I just enjoy much more.

6. Washington (state, not D.C.) to South Carolina to be closer to family and lower cost of living. It’s still not the cheapest state but at least we can have a nice house here which was not possible in Seattle.

7. MI -> CA: work

   CA -> MI: work

   MI -> WA: work

   WA -> NC: economics, housing affordability

   NC – > MI: lifestyle change

8. GA > CA — first duty station in USAF

   CA > WA — second duty station in USAF

   WA > ND — third duty station in USAF

   ND > GA — separation from Active Duty.

9. From Virginia to Wisconsin for my husband’s job (he matched for medical residency there).

   We’re moving in a couple of months to Washington (state) to be closer to family and to have better scenery.

10. I’ve lived in 5 states:

    Born in TX, moved to TN when I was 4because my dad got a new job.

    Moved to NC for college and law school.

    Moved to DC for work after law school.

    Moved to VA to buy a house when our first kid was born.

11. NYC to Conn for work.

12. CO -> AZ new job and weather

13. I moved from Virginia to Tennessee due to a long-distance relationship, and his job was more stable than mine at the time.

14. 6 years ago I moved to Hawaii because Hawaii. Then 2 years ago I moved back to the mainland because staying in Hawaii long term wasn’t sustainable and it cost too much to live there.

15. California to Idaho – because California sucks.

    Idaho to California – because the winter slapped little old California me in the face.

    California to Utah – 2nd attempt to escape. Permanent this time.

16. PA to NY. Had a mental breakdown after years of working to pay bills and moved there at 18 to become a bicycle messenger.

    NY to PA. Took care of sick grandparents.

    PA to HI. Had a family member that had a few rental condos. Moved to take care of them (the condos)

    HI to PA. Wanted to stay in Hawaii, but I can’t stand working in tourism.

    PA to multiple states (lost count) worked as a traveling install tech for industrial equipment. Lived in each state for about a year, while also traveling around the world to do my job.

    PA to NC. Me and wife moved to try a different place.

    NC to AZ. Me and wife (and kids) wanted to try something different and needed a challenge.

    AZ to ? I’ll let you know.

17. I moved from Michigan (metro Detroit) to Arizona (Phoenix). At the time (still during the Great Recession), Arizona offered far better career prospects and offered a career path that wasn’t working for or in support of the auto industry, which can be tough to avoid in metro Detroit no matter what your career is and I was hoping to avoid.

18. Wisconsin to Texas for a job and because I always wanted to live outside of my home state. I lived there for seven years.

    Then I moved back to Wisconsin.

19. Texas to Oregon: Parents smoked pot and wanted to live somewhere with less punitive laws.

    Oregon to Texas: Mom couldn’t use to the rainy weather in Oregon.

    Texas to California: Thought I wanted to work in the film industry.

    California to NYC: Lifelong plan. Probably because of Sesame Street.

    NYC to Texas: Homesick Texan wanted to go home.

    Texas to New England: In-laws at end of life.

    New England to ???: I don’t know yet but I’m not staying here.

20. Ohio to Minnesota – father transferred for work

    Minnesota to Indiana – went to university

    Indiana to Ohio – changed universities

    Ohio to Spain and back – for school/immersion for a year

    Ohio to Texas – New career, just out of school, good opportunity

    Texas to Ohio (different part of Ohio) marriage ending, ex wanted to be closer to family, I moved to make it easier on kids

    Ohio to California – job in Ohio was miserable. Had the opportunity to go west, I took it.

    Who knows if I will leave CA. I don’t anticipate it, but who knows!

21. Kentucky to Germany: Dad was in the Army.

    Germany to Kentucky: Dad retired.

    Kentucky to California: Parents divorced and it’s Mom’s home state.

    California to Arizona: Mom got a new job.

    Arizona to California: I got a promotion.

    California to ???: I can’t stand the traffic and I’m afraid to ride my motorcycle here.

22. San Diego to Atlanta. For 4 years. Followed my wife to grad school.

    Atlanta to San Diego. Divorced/laid off around the same time. I really liked GA. But it was never home.

23. VA to Texas, for a new job and just a change of pace.

    I’ll soon be moving out of Texas because Texas is awful.

24. Louisiana to Colorado. couldnt take the hurricanes anymore

25. Indiana to Wyoming

    Mostly because I felt like it. I didn’t have any commitments in Indiana so moving was pretty easy. I also work for a federal agency. So finding the same job position here and simply transferring offices was also easy

26. As an adult, I have moved from North Carolina to South Carolina, South Carolina to Colorado, Colorado to New York (City and then upstate) and New York to California.

    The answer to “why” in every case was “for a better job.”

27. When I was younger I moved to Georgia, a pretty normal suburban town. I thought I would love it because I grew up in the city and thought I would like a bigger home and all of the conveniences that came from suburban living, but I really just ended up hating it and moved back to Brooklyn.