Washington's Post-Pandemic Migration: A Sunbelt Shift

0:00People have been wondering if folks are not just moving into Washington, but also packing up and leaving since the pandemic hit. Turns out, yes, there's been a clear uptick and out migration, though it's no mass exodus. Since his data from the American Community Survey shows more Washington residents heading elsewhere in recent years compared to before. Looking year by year, the numbers spied hard in 2021, with over 280,000 people leaving, then stayed high at 2. 153,000 in 2022. By 2023 and especially 2024, it's dropped back closer to pre-pandemic levels, but still above average. That shift has hit neighbors like Idaho, the hardest, where the annual inflow from Washington jumped from about 10,300 to 16,900 people. Locals there gripe about skyrocketing home prices, jammed roads, and newcomers bringing different politics. Meanwhile, the big draws are those classic sunbelt spots with sunny weather, cheaper living, and spots without state income tax,

1:03remote work during the pandemic, supercharged this trend, letting people chase better vibes without losing their jobs. So as things cool off, Washington seemed balanced flows in and out, but that post-pandemic shuffle reshaped where people call home for good. That's the story for today. Vancouver News Today, Driven by AI