They’re still coming to North Carolina

Statistics for household movement between states over the last two years are now available. Has the trend of people moving to North Carolina continued? N.C. State University econnomist Mike Walden answers.

“It indeed has. … Now, people are always moving … into a state or out of a state. … (We) economists … look at something called net inmigration. Net inmigration simply says we’re going to measure the number of people moving, in our case to North Carolina, from other states, then subtract the number people in North Carolina who moved to another state. And so we look at that net.

“And you’re actually right: Between 2010 and 2012 — these are data we just received — North Carolina had the third highest … net inmigration rate. And we’re talking not in percentage terms. We’re talking in terms of numbers of households. The only states that exceeded us were Texas and Florida. I think that’s a really amazing number.

“So you’re right that people still are coming here and want to come here.

“Now as we look at some other states, all states can’t say that. In fact, several states have large net outmigration — among them, California, New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Ohio.

“So I think this says something about our … state ‘s ability to attract other households. Whether it be for retirement, whether it be to take advantage of our great amenities or whether it be to get a job, … people are coming to North Carolina.”