DC Ranks No. 1 in Inbound Migration for 7th Straight Year

Since 1993, Atlas Van Lines has compiled and released data on interstate moves from the previous calendar year.

In 2012, Washington, DC, saw the highest percentage of inbound migration for the seventh consecutive year, according to a recent Business Insider article.

The study found that 63 percent of Washington, DC, moves were inbound, just ahead of North Dakota at 61 percent and North Carolina at 60 percent.

In fact, Washington, DC, has seen the most inbound moves over the last 10 years—68 percent, well ahead of Alaska, which was 61 percent and New Mexico at 58 percent.

Conversely, Wyoming and Nebraska saw 59 percent outbound migration in 2012, with New York third at 58 percent. Over the past decade, New York and New Jersey saw a 59 percent outbound migration rate with Ohio close behind at 58 percent.

The study classifies a state as "inbound" if more than 55 percent of the total moves are into the state, "outbound" if more than 55 percent of the moves are going out of the state and "balanced" if either inbound or outbound moves are less than 55 percent of total moves.

Maryland and Virginia are both designated as balanced.

The article also shows that while DC continues to lead in inbound migration, the actual yearly numbers of moves have dropped over the past five years, with a high of 701 in 2007 and just 510 in 2012.

The article does not attribute DC's high inbound percentage to anything in particular, but the transient nature of DC's business, government and nonprofit profiles is likely a contributor.