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Welcome to Florida: Sunshine State among top states people moved to in 2021

They're not just coming to soak up the sun for a weekend.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida continues to be one of the top destinations, not just for vacation, but as a place people want to call home. 

An analysis from United Van Lines ranked Florida No. 5 in states people moved to in 2021.

According to data, the top reasons for people moving to the Sunshine State included retirement, lifestyle, family and jobs. 

Overall, United Van Lines says the top motivating factors for people moving to different states included moving closer to family —  "a new trend coming out of the pandemic as priorities and lifestyle choices shift." Another main factor for moving was for jobs, although United Van Lines says the percentage of people doing so is a "significant" decrease of years past. 

Additionally, while many people are flocking to Florida for retirement, United Van Lines notes they're not all going to heavily populated cities like Orland and Miami — rather they're moving to less-dense places such as Punta Gorda, Sarasota and Fort Myers-Cape Coral. 

This study wasn't the only one to find many people calling Florida their new home. 

Data compiled by Move.org shows Florida is the No. 1 state people moved to in 2021. That's the same result it found in 2020. 

Similar to United Van Lines, Move.org cited a top factor for people moving was family. Additionally, Move.org said 45 percent of the people surveyed moved to a place with a lower cost of living. 

With no personal income tax and certain comparatively lower prices in a time when everything is becoming more expensive due to the broken supply chain, Florida has a lot to offer many prospective movers. 

And likely impacted by this influx of new Floridians, the housing market in the Tampa Bay area has become red-hot. 

Rent, too, has surged in the Tampa Bay area, putting the heat on many renters already living here. 

Leaders in Tampa and St. Pete have said they are looking at ways to keep housing affordable in the region.

RELATED: Tampa tops list for 2022's hottest housing market

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