Keystone to Sunshine: Pennsylvania Migration Trends

Fewer people have been moving in recent years, but state-to-state migration has increased, according to Axios.  

Most notably, a significant number of Pennsylvanians sought the Sunshine State’s warmer weather. Between 2018 and 2022, 31,700 left Pennsylvania to call Florida their new home.  

Following behind Florida, 25,874 moved next door to New Jersey, 23,281 moved to New York, 14,669 chose Ohio and 13,482 went south to Virginia.  

However, although many have said goodbye to Pennsylvania, the Keystone State continues to welcome new residents from neighboring states. Pennsylvania was among the top states for movers from Maryland, New York and Ohio.  

In 2022 alone, an estimated 262,700 Americans relocated to Pennsylvania, which was the ninth most popular state for movers. New York accounted for 44,807 of new Pennsylvanians, followed by New Jersey (40,517), Maryland (22,247), California (16,336) and Florida (16,014).  

In general, research by the National Association of Realtors® suggests that many Americans are sticking close to home. Last year’s Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers noted that the median distance between the home that recent buyers purchased and the home from which they moved was only 20 miles – a decrease from 50 miles the previous year. It also highlighted Americans’ increased desire for small towns and rural areas.