A new study from a moving and relocation company found that more people moved out of Connecticut than moved in last year, further muddying population data on the state, which had proven a desirable landing point for many space-starved New Yorkers at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an analysis from United Van Lines, the country’s largest household goods mover, the pandemic-induced rush to the suburbs wasn’t enough to counteract Connecticut’s population drain in 2021, as 60% of moves to or from the state were outbound.
That figure made Connecticut the fourth-most moved-from state in the U.S. last year, the company found, behind only New Jersey, Illinois and New York.
The report somewhat runs up against data released by the U.S. Census last month showing that Connecticut actually gained more residents than it lost from mid-2020 to mid-2021, with the state adding 5,337 people. Because the Census measured from July 2020 to July 2021, and did not include the last six months of 2021, a direct comparison of the data sets is not yet possible.
An earlier analysis of U.S. Postal Service change-of-address information estimated that about 27,200 people relocated to Connecticut from the New York City metro area and northern New Jersey in 2020, making the state the fifth-most popular destination for city transplants.
California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Ohio and Nebraska rounded out the top of United Van Lines’ most moved-from list.
