Study: Arizona a top state for net growth in migration

PHOENIX — If you’ve noticed a recent influx of people in the state, it may not be entirely due to spring training baseball and the sunny weather.

Arizona ranked as the No. 10 state for net growth in migration in 2018, according to a study from moving service HireAHelper.

“Net growth is starting a move in Arizona as opposed to ending a move in Arizona,” Elyssa Kirkham, a lead reporter on HireAHelper’s study, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday. “Arizona is one of the states with the most people moving into the state.”

The study was based on trends found from moving data collected by HireAHelper from the past year.

Arizona’s net mover gain of 16.21 percent, and it was one of 27 states to have a net gain in 2018.

The top Arizona city people moved to was Tucson, and the average Arizona move spanned 394 miles.

The big reason for Arizona’s net growth in migration? People can’t wait to move away from California.

California was the top state people moved away from in 2018, and the California-to-Arizona move was the third-most popular.

California had a net loss of 13.3 percent, the only state bordering Arizona with a net loss.

“That points to a lot of people in California wanting a similar sort of sunny climate but wanting a more affordable cost of living and everything Arizona has to offer,” Kirkham said. “Arizona is a big draw for nearby states that have a higher cost of living.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Madison Spence contributed to this report

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