Where people from Virginia are moving

When Virginians move out of state, they're usually headed toward the Sun Belt.

Why it matters: Moving overall is at an all-time low around the U.S., but there's been an uptick in state-to-state migration — and that can impact our workforce and tax base.

The big picture: Virginia was one of the states with the most people moving out between 2018 and 2022, per Census estimates.

• Pinning down the reason is challenging, but knowing where people are headed offers some clues.

Zoom in: The top states Virginians moved to were

• Florida (29,657 people)
• North Carolina (29,264)
• Maryland (24,629)
• California (18,220)
• and the Lone Star State: Texas (17,064).

When it comes down to counties, Virginians are more likely to move to D.C. (technically a city), San Diego, Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and … Honolulu, Hawaii.

How it works: The figures can be best understood as pooled averages covering the 2018-2022 timeframe.

Between the lines: A lot of that movement could be coming from Northern Virginia , which has increasingly seen people flee because of the growing cost of living and rise of remote work, per UVA's Weldon Cooper Center.

• The region also has a sizable contingent of military personnel (as do San Diego and Honolulu).
• And our Axios San Diego colleague Kate Murphy, a former NoVa resident, tells us California is expensive but with the beach, mountains and perfect weather, life feels like a vacation.
• Plus, "every conversation doesn't start with or revolve around your job."

Fun fact: Floridians love us.

• We're the fifth-most-moved-to state for Florida residents and third-most-moved-to state for people from North Carolina.
• We're the No. 1 pick for Marylanders and second for D.C. residents — maybe because they wanted taxation with representation.

Go deeper: Where out-of-state movers are going