Leaving Colorado: The top destinations for people who move out

While more than 264,000 people moved into Colorado last year, another 239,000 decided to pack their things and leave the state, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Texas received the most Coloradans in 2022, with Census estimates saying over 24,500 moved to the Lone Star State. Another 21,000 moved to Florida. California was another popular destination for Colorado — almost 20,000 decided to make the move to the West Coast state.

Interestingly, nearly 70,000 people moved to Colorado from those three states in 2022: 33,200 from California; 25,500 from Texas; and 11,100 from Florida.

Those leaving Colorado also sought out neighboring states. That was especially true for Arizona, where more than 12,200 moved. Other neighbors receiving residents from Colorado were:

• New Mexico: 7,846

• Oklahoma: 5,902

• Kansas: 7,359

• Nebraska: 6,422

• Wyoming: 5,076

• Utah: 5,327

The least popular destinations for those on the move, according to Census estimates, were primarily along the East Coast: Rhode Island, Delaware, West Virginia, and Vermont. Puerto Rico was also on that list.

The new data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. The survey happens more frequently than the official Census and gives people a better idea of changes happening in their community year to year.

Over 5.8 million people call Colorado home, according to 2022 Census data.

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How To Move to Another State Without A Hitch

Moving to another state can feel overwhelming. Even if you’re excited about the move—for a new job, for love, to be closer to family, to start over—it can still feel like there’s an entire mountain of logistical details to climb.

Packing your belongings is just the beginning of moving to another state. You’ll also need to find a new place to live, get a new job (or get into grad school!), update your address, register your car, set up utilities—the list goes on and on. But moving doesn’t have to be so complicated. Let’s break down how to complete an interstate move without a hitch.

What do I need to do to move to another state?

Before moving, you’ll first need to take care of a few things at home. If you’re renting, carefully review your lease to determine if you’ll have to pay a penalty for moving out early. You may even consider planning your move to coincide with the end of your existing lease, which is usually a lot simpler. If you’re a homeowner, you’ll need to decide what to do with your existing property—sell it ASAP? Rent it out? Use it as a short-term vacation rental?

At the same time, you’ll want to start thinking about a place to live in your new state. Familiarize yourself with different neighborhoods in your new city, then check out as many online home or apartment listings as possible to start budgeting for rent or mortgage payments.

It’s also a good idea to lean into existing local resources created specifically for new residents, says Cynthia Reid, a spokeswoman for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Take it from the experts who already live there—they really know what they’re talking about and are more than happy to share their expertise. 

“(Our organization) assists potential new residents with information about the city’s neighborhoods, schools, outdoor activities and places to have fun,” she says. “Another essential asset that city chambers, OKC included, typically offer is a cost of living calculator, which is ideally updated throughout the year to reflect real-time costs of living.”

What do I need to change when moving to another state?

Aside from the obvious changes—your home, your job, your grocery store—there are lots of little updates you should remember to make when moving. And don’t stress out. It might seem like a lot, but just keep working through each task on your checklist, one by one.“Keep a list of things you need to do and check off as you go,” says Tracy Jones, a real estate agent preparing to move her family from Elkhart, Indiana, to Sarasota, Florida. A few examples:

How do I move to another state without a job?

People move to another state without a job all the time. In fact, it may actually be part of your job-hunting strategy. Why? Because employers often prefer to hire candidates with a local address. This signals to the hiring manager that you’ll be available to start working relatively soon and there likely won’t be any unexpected hiccups in bringing you on board.

If you’re planning to move to another state without a job, don’t wait until you arrive to start researching the job market. Before you start packing, do a deep dive into the local job market, including an inventory of reputable companies that align with your skills and expertise. When you arrive, you’ll be able to hit the ground running with applications and networking.

How much money do you need to move to a different state?

And speaking of cost of living: Your budget should be top of mind when moving to a different state. If you’re open to moving anywhere, consider researching cities with lower costs of living, which can help you save money month after month.

Your budget for moving to another state should include:

• Actual moving expenses. These are the real costs associated with renting a moving truck, hiring movers, renting a storage unit, shipping your belongings, flights, gas, hotels, fast food, and other costs you’ll incur while moving.

• Apartment application fees. Generally speaking, you’ll pay anywhere from $20 to $50 each time you apply for an apartment or rental property. You may also have to pay other fees, such as a background check fee or a credit check fee.

• Rental deposit. Your new landlord will likely ask for a security deposit upfront, which helps protect them if you cause damage to the home. Some landlords also ask you to pay first and last month’s rent ahead of time.

• Pet deposit. If you’re bringing a four-legged friend with you, prepare to pay a pet deposit ranging anywhere from $200 to $500.

• Utility deposits. When you’re setting up utilities such as gas, electric, water, sewer, trash, and internet, you may be required to pay a deposit upfront.

• Renter’s insurance or homeowner’s insurance. You can typically choose to pay this as a lump sum or monthly, though many insurers offer a discount if you pay in advance.

• New furniture or decor. Your new apartment may be larger or configured differently than your existing home. This means you might need to shell out some money for furniture.

For more moving tips, visit Apartment Therapy.

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The Top 5 Most Livable and Affordable Mid-Sized Cities in the US are in Colorado

Colorado is home to the top five most livable and affordable mid-sized cities in the U.S.

This is according to personal finance website SmartAsset. The ranking took into consideration several economic factors, including median household income, unemployment rate, average commute time, poverty rate and income inequality.

Personal finance website SmartAsset ranked five mid-sized cities in Colorado as the most livable and affordable in the U.S.

Arvada came in first place with a strong job market and livable wages. Centennial came in second with low levels of poverty, unemployment and more people living with healthcare.

Westminster is the third-highest ranked mid-sized city and also boasts low poverty and unemployment rates. The median home value in Westminster grew 60 percent in five years.

Highlands Ranch is No. 4 on the list with low income inequality compared to other mid-sized cities and a high median household income. Thornton rounds out the top five with lower monthly housing costs and low unemployment.

1. Arvada, Colorado

• Median household income: $87,955

• Change in median home value from 2014 through 2018: 63%

• Poverty rate: 4.7%

• Unemployment rate: 3.4%

• Median monthly housing costs: $1,438

2. Centennial, Colorado

• Median household income: $110,443

• Change in median home value from 2014 through 2018: 39%

• Poverty rate: 3.2%

• Unemployment rate: 2.7%

• Median monthly housing costs: $1,740

3. Westminster, Colorado

• Median household income: $71,626

• Change in median home value from 2014 through 2018: 60%

• Poverty rate: 5.5%

• Unemployment rate: 2.8%

• Median monthly housing costs: $1,441

4. Highlands Ranch, Colorado

• Median household income: $124,795

• Change in median home value from 2014 through 2018: 33%

• Poverty rate: 1.1%

• Unemployment rate: 2.9%er

• Median monthly housing costs: $2,021

5. Thornton, Colorado

• Median household income: $74,690

• Change in median home value from 2014 through 2018: 66%

• Poverty rate: 6.9%

• Unemployment rate: 3.1%

• Median monthly housing costs: $1,492

Rochester, MN came in at No. 6 on the list, followed by Cary, NC, Meridian, ID, Overland Park, KS and Frisco, TX.

SmartAsset analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data from 2014 to 2018 to determine changes in median home value. Across the U.S., more than 226 mid-sized cities made the list.

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Denver’s Housing Market Isn’t Crashing - It’s Changing.

Where do the majority of Colorado transplants come from?

Released this week: 2018 data that reveals where residents of each state was born.

And the information about our fair state is fascinating even as it confirms plenty of suspicions about which American places are churning out the most transplants to Colorado.

The figures show that fewer than half of the folks currently living in Colorado have original roots. Of the total population, 5,695,564 (an increase of 88,410 from 2017), only 2,388,284 million started out here.

A far lower number, 635,176, hail from foreign countries (the assorted nations aren't specified — and the total includes those "born at sea"). There are just shy of 15,000 from Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories. As such, the remainder came here from one of the other 49 states or Washington, D.C.

Which ones? Westword broke them into seven brackets: fewer than 10,000, between 10,001 and 20,000, between 20,001 and 30,000, between 30,001 and 40,000, between 40,001 and 50,000, between 50,001 and 100,000, and more than 100,000. The ones in the last category are unlikely to surprise you…

Delaware (4,213)
Maine (9,320)
New Hampshire (7,413)
Rhode Island (4,737)
Vermont (5,787)
West Virginia (8,724)

As you can see, five of these six entries are New England states of modest size, which likely explains the comparatively small numbers. The exception is West Virginia, which is regularly listed among the handful of the country's poorest states. We're guessing that more West Virginians would get here if they possibly could.

BETWEEN 10,001 AND 20,000 TRANSPLANTS

Alabama (17,673)
Alaska (13,500)
Arkansas (16,907)
Hawaii (16,118)
Idaho (18,438)
Kentucky (16,959)
Mississippi (13,071)
Nevada (17,712)
South Carolina (12,707)
Washington, D.C. (14,064)

Like West Virginia, five of these nine states (plus Washington, D.C.) are from the South. But also grouped here are Alaska and Hawaii, plus two states in the western section of the continental U.S., Idaho and Nevada, that share some geographical similarities with Colorado, but aren't as good. Obviously.

BETWEEN 20,001 AND 30,000 TRANSPLANTS

Connecticut (25,501)
Maryland (25,943)
Montana (23,647)
North Dakota (20,986)
Oregon (29,827)
Tennessee (25,362)

Even more folks are fleeing the South! Additional New Englanders are splitting! The West is best, but some parts of it are better!

BETWEEN 30,001 AND 40,000 TRANSPLANTS

Georgia (34,600)
Louisiana (33,600)
North Carolina (31,557)
South Dakota (32,739)

The exodus continues in more populous states around the country, plus South Dakota, which has less than one-third the residents (882,235) of the Denver metro area (2,932,415). As such, the 32,739 South Dakotans who now live in Colorado represent nearly 4 percent of their old state's population. Sorry, Pierre and Sioux Falls.

BETWEEN 40,001 AND 50,000 TRANSPLANTS

Indiana (48,595)
Massachusetts (43,656)
Utah (44,759)
Virginia (40,644)
Washington (47,350)
Wyoming (40,645)

The most interesting entries here are Utah and Wyoming, a pair of neighboring states with smallish populations — yet more than 40,000 people from each wound up here.

BETWEEN 50,001 AND 100,000 TRANSPLANTS

Arizona (57,999)
Florida (65,910)
Iowa (78,211)
Michigan (93,910)
Minnesota (72,835)
Missouri (70,746)
Nebraska (88,400)
New Jersey (58,004)
New Mexico (79,706)
Ohio (88,122)
Oklahoma (57,575)
Pennsylvania (80,406)
Wisconsin (60,908)

The huge numbers of transplants from these thirteen states speak volumes about the wide appeal of Colorado. There are more neighboring states (Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma), where lotsa folks realize that the grass is greener on our side of the fence. Add in Arizonans and Floridians sick of their particular brand of heat and lots of ex-Midwesterners who've had more than enough of the humidity and the result is an even longer line to get into Colorado.

MORE THAN 100,000 TRANSPLANTS

California (365,982)
Kansas (101,329)
Illinois (155,086)
New York (135,248)
Texas (200,481)

More than 135,000 New Yorkers. Over 155,000 Illinois natives who reached their limit. A whopping 200K from Texas. And so many Californians that if they all lived in one place, it would instantly become the fourth largest city in the state. If that doesn't put Colorado's incredible growth into perspective, nothing will.

Thanks to Westword for compiling and reporting this information! Hop over there to keep reading!

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