ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Since the COVID-19 pandemic set in, many Americans have packed up and moved to states in the Southeast.
Whether it be due to working remotely, the desire to live closer to family or simply looking for a new ZIP code, moving and storage company PODS says Americans are packing up and settling in new cities.
While the moving company cannot predict the future, based on 2021 trends, PODS has comprised a list of the Top 20 cities where people are moving to, and the Tampa Bay area tops the list.
Coming in the No. 1 spot, Sarasota led the nation in the highest increase in resides from January 2021 through March 2022. The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked second and Nashville followed behind. In the fourth spot is the Tampa Bay region among U.S. cities that have seen the most growth.
PODS says the move could be influenced by less volatile seasonal weather changes and more space to access nature — have you seen Clearwater Beach?
But what about where people are moving from? According to PODS, three California cities are among the Top 10 cities where residents are making a grand exit in 2021, and it's continued in 2022.
Officials said the move could stem from high state taxes and the cost of living. In addition, PODS believes permanent remote policies could be another factor for the high number of moves out of the cities on the list.
The top cities people are moving out of include Los Angeles, the San Francisco area, Chicago, Long Island, N.Y., and Central New Jersey.
