CityLab Day by day: The place People Are Transferring
The urban shuffle: Amid the economic fallout from lockdowns, low interest rates, and the rise in teleworking, some Americans packed up and moved during the pandemic – some permanently, some temporarily. Migration sparked speculation about an urban mass exodus, but emerging data tell a more nuanced story about how people move.
U.S. Post Office change of address data, analyzed by Bloomberg CityLab, suggests more Americans are leaving cities than in previous years, but it’s more of an urban mess – and one following a trend that is likely ahead of the pandemic: most people moved outside but stayed close to where they lived. Many settled in suburbs of the region or in nearby satellite towns. Migration patterns were more dramatic in two of America’s most expensive areas. “The term or concept of urban exodus that really only applies to New York and San Francisco,” said one political economist.
The data also provides a closer look at who moved and why. Some economists say the number one question for cities like New York won’t be who is leaving, but who is moving in. Today on CityLab: More and more Americans are leaving cities but are not calling it an urban exodus
-Linda Poon
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