Yet another study is out that backs up why there's so much construction around Jacksonville.
Jacksonville saw 55.2% more people moving in than moving out in 2019, according to the 2020 Migration Report put together by HireAHelper, a digital marketplace for small moving companies.
HireAHelper analyzed moving data from more than 25,000 moves in the U.S., booked through its online platform in 2019, supplemented with 2018 U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
The River City was the nation’s fourth highest ranked city for population gains through moving, according to the report.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported Jacksonville’s population surged by an estimated 12,153 residents between 2017 and 2018. Jacksonville's estimated city population as of July 1, 2018 was 903,889.
The report said 1-in-8, or 13%, of all out-of-state moves across the country were to Florida, making it the most popular state to move to by far.
Florida was the top out-of-state destination to move to in 22 states.
One notable exception in Florida was Miami. HireAHelper’s numbers found 46% more people leaving as opposed to moving to South Florida’s largest city in 2019.
That's after the U.S. Census estimated Miami’s population as of July 2018 to be 470,914, up from an estimated 443,007 in 2017.
The main factors that cause people to move, as listed by HireAHelper, are:
- Housing - 40.4%
- Family - 26.7%
- Work - 21.4%
- Other - 11.5%
Although housing was listed as the top general reason for moving, it played a smaller role in moves across state lines, with the report finding it was a factor in only 14% of moves into a different state.
Will Tyson, a University of South Florida associate professor of sociology, said this type of data could prove useful, even if it is only from one company.
“I'm just encouraged that they're putting out this report to give a broader sense of what trends are out there,” Tyson told WJCT sister station WUSF.
- WUSF's Vanessa Henry contributed to this story.
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
