15 Nov North Dakota outpaced the U.S. in domestic migration in 2023
North Dakota has been drawing people from other states at a rapid clip in recent years, driven by its booming oil and gas industry and low cost of living.
North Dakota notched a net migration rate of 1.76% in 2023, followed by South Carolina at 1.30%, according to a ConsumerAffairs analysis of the latest U.S. Census Bureau data on population and state-to-state migration flows.
Net migration rates between states show how people moving in and out contribute to overall population change, suggesting where Americans are seeing better prospects in the nation.
By comparison, 45 states had net migration rates below 1% and 18 of those states had negative rates.
Over a two-year average from 2022 to 2023, North Dakota’s state-to-state net migration rate ranked No. 1 in the U.S.
ConsumerAffairs determined the net migration rates of every U.S. state, plus the District of Columbia, in 2023 and 2022 by calculating the difference between those moving in and out, and then dividing the difference by mid-year population estimates.