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UAThe most popular US states to live in
The USA is the most popular immigration country in the world. However, the top states for immigrants are subject to changing trends. We show you the most popular US states in 2022 and dare a glimpse into the future.
Take the chance of living in the USA and apply for the official US Green Card Lottery!
Immigration and relocation trends in the USA
According to the US relocation platform moveBuddha, the post-COVID moving trend that has taken many people out of typically "trendy" metropolitan areas in the US since 2020 is set to continue.
In search of a better life, people in 2022 were often drawn to US states that were rarely in the top 10 mentions before COVID: Tennessee, Montana, Maine, North Carolina, and South Carolina benefited from continued growth, amongst others.
Another up-and-coming star in the US emigrant sky is said to be Mississippi. The southern state enjoyed increasing popularity in 2021 and is expected to have grown even more in 2022.
Migration experts explain the growing number of immigrants in "unusual" areas by the opportunity to work from home and thus benefit from affordable housing and proximity to nature.
However, some things remained the same regarding emigrating to the USA in recent months. "all-time favorites" such as Florida have not disappeared from the top list despite pandemic-related migration. According to moveBuddha, the most popular immigration states in the USA are currently:
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- Montana
- South Carolina
- Maine
- North Carolina
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Wyoming
- Vermont
Immigration growth slower in top states: Census
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the most popular states in the US until 2020, Florida, Texas, New York, California, and Massachusetts, lost in migration speed between 2020 and 2021.
For lack of precise data, one of the factors used for this survey was the net income of the states, which had grown at a much slower rate between 2020 and 2021. California recorded the sharpest decline of all the states in the Census calculation.
Feels like everyone wants to emigrate to Texas
Where people want to move to in the USA is also related to where they come from or what jobs they work in. For example, when large technology companies move from the Bay Area to Austin, Texas, they also bring employees to the state in droves.
Currently, however, an emigration trend to Texas is emerging for more than one reason. US immigrants feel at home in the Lone Star State in 2022 for the following reasons:
- Low cost of living
- Favorable real estate prices
- No state income tax
- Economic growth and good job opportunities
- Good schools
- Sunny climate
Got a taste for Texas? Then take a closer look at the popular immigrant state in our article "Emigrating to Texas."
The most immigrant-friendly US states
The decision to which US state you want to move to after winning the Green Card Lottery should not only be based on current immigration trends. Important criteria for the best US state to live in include job opportunities, infrastructure, safety, and cost of living.
WalletHub researchers ranked all 50 US states in 52 categories in August 2022 - including affordability, economy, education, health, median household income, homeownership, quality of life, and safety.
Here are WalletHub's 2022 most livable states in five categories:
The cheapest US states to live in 2022
- Alabama
- West Virginia
- Indiana
- Arkansas
- Missouri
The economically most attractive US states to live in 2022
- North Dakota
- Utah
- Montana
- Washington
- South Dakota
The healthiest US states to live in 2022
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- New Jersey
The US states with the highest quality of life in 2022
- New York
- Kalifornien
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Florida
The safest US states to live in 2022
- New Jersey
- New York
- Wyoming
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
Immigrating to the USA: better with a Green Card
Only a Green Card allows you to indefinitely live and work in the USA. The easiest way to obtain the desired US immigrant visa is through the US government's annual Green Card Lottery, in which 55,000 Green Cards are raffled off each year.
If you meet the eligibility requirements of the US authorities, you can secure a place in the lottery pot with just a few clicks. The drawing of the winners is held every year between May and June.
Sources
census.gov, movebuddha.com, usatoday.com, wallethub.com, taxfoundation.org