States sending the most people to Washington

Written by:
February 22, 2024
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States sending the most people to Washington

Fewer Americans moved in 2022, according to the latest census data, but of those who did, 1 in 5 moved to a different state.

Population growth has returned to pre-pandemic norms; Southern states continued to record influxes in population, while the Northeast saw the biggest drops, particularly in New York and Pennsylvania. These trends largely continued into last year, according to United Van Lines' annual movers study. States with the most inbound moves in 2023 were Vermont, Washington D.C., South Carolina, and Arkansas, which moved up 14 spots from the year before.

Stacker compiled a list of states sending the most people to Washington using data from the Census Bureau. States are ranked by the number of people who moved to Washington from a different state in 2022.

Keep reading to find out which states sent the most people to Washington.

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#25. Alaska

- 3,048 people moved to Washington from Alaska in 2022, making up 1.23% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #2 most common state for people moving away from Alaska

#24. Missouri

- 3,187 people moved to Washington from Missouri in 2022, making up 1.28% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #16 most common state for people moving away from Missouri

#23. Montana

- 3,245 people moved to Washington from Montana in 2022, making up 1.31% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #2 most common state for people moving away from Montana

#22. Tennessee

- 3,331 people moved to Washington from Tennessee in 2022, making up 1.34% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #18 most common state for people moving away from Tennessee

#21. Ohio

- 3,515 people moved to Washington from Ohio in 2022, making up 1.42% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #19 most common state for people moving away from Ohio

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#20. Michigan

- 3,541 people moved to Washington from Michigan in 2022, making up 1.43% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #15 most common state for people moving away from Michigan

#19. Pennsylvania

- 3,789 people moved to Washington from Pennsylvania in 2022, making up 1.53% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #19 most common state for people moving away from Pennsylvania

#18. South Carolina

- 3,831 people moved to Washington from South Carolina in 2022, making up 1.54% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #12 most common state for people moving away from South Carolina

#17. New York

- 4,732 people moved to Washington from New York in 2022, making up 1.91% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #20 most common state for people moving away from New York

#16. Illinois

- 4,772 people moved to Washington from Illinois in 2022, making up 1.92% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #21 most common state for people moving away from Illinois

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#15. Minnesota

- 5,002 people moved to Washington from Minnesota in 2022, making up 2.01% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #8 most common state for people moving away from Minnesota

#14. Utah

- 5,400 people moved to Washington from Utah in 2022, making up 2.17% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #5 most common state for people moving away from Utah

#13. Nevada

- 5,524 people moved to Washington from Nevada in 2022, making up 2.22% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #5 most common state for people moving away from Nevada

#12. Georgia

- 5,574 people moved to Washington from Georgia in 2022, making up 2.24% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #11 most common state for people moving away from Georgia

#11. Massachusetts

- 5,773 people moved to Washington from Massachusetts in 2022, making up 2.32% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #11 most common state for people moving away from Massachusetts

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#10. North Carolina

- 5,849 people moved to Washington from North Carolina in 2022, making up 2.36% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #12 most common state for people moving away from North Carolina

#9. Arizona

- 7,237 people moved to Washington from Arizona in 2022, making up 2.91% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #5 most common state for people moving away from Arizona

#8. Hawaii

- 7,392 people moved to Washington from Hawaii in 2022, making up 2.98% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #2 most common state for people moving away from Hawaii

#7. Virginia

- 7,406 people moved to Washington from Virginia in 2022, making up 2.98% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #13 most common state for people moving away from Virginia

#6. Florida

- 8,368 people moved to Washington from Florida in 2022, making up 3.37% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #19 most common state for people moving away from Florida

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#5. Colorado

- 9,396 people moved to Washington from Colorado in 2022, making up 3.78% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #5 most common state for people moving away from Colorado

#4. Idaho

- 10,557 people moved to Washington from Idaho in 2022, making up 4.25% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #1 most common state for people moving away from Idaho

#3. Texas

- 19,245 people moved to Washington from Texas in 2022, making up 7.75% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #7 most common state for people moving away from Texas

#2. Oregon

- 36,061 people moved to Washington from Oregon in 2022, making up 14.52% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #1 most common state for people moving away from Oregon

#1. California

- 49,968 people moved to Washington from California in 2022, making up 20.12% of new residents that moved from another state

-- It was the #4 most common state for people moving away from California

This story features data reporting and writing by Elena Cox and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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