Relocation trends to rural areas in 2020 and beyond (real estate, homes)

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Real estate and school enrollment has seen a big uptick in the rural northern New England states in 2020. Previously there had been a steady migration pattern of relocation to Vermont from Boston metro & the NYC Tri State area, but also paired with a lot of young residents leaving which tipped towards a trending population loss prior to the pandemic.

2020 has seen an influx of young families & new residents from all over the US relocating to this area for a variety of reasons. With COVID as a catalyst and working from home fostering the income stability being able to mange working and living in rural states and counties the real estate inventory is drying up. There were a lot of homes on the market in 2019 when I first got here. No so currently.

What other rural states or rural counties in the US have seen this influx of WFH migration the most? But especially so post pandemic? A good bulk of rural areas in the US have economically been left behind unless they were already tourist/resort towns. What rural areas would benefit the most from this recent migration? Will it likely last once we reach a post COVID/vaccine distribution?

[kimumingyu]

The data actually suggests that suburban, not rural, areas have done better during the pandemic, as people will continue to want to have access to things that cities provide (educational, recreational, medical, etc.).

I really haven't seen any data to show a big move to the countryside.

[Heel82]

Being rural in New England is quite different than being rural elsewhere. Mainly in access to amenities. There isn’t a Boston a couple hours away from most of rural America. I’d look for the biggest gains in exurbs of larger metros as well as faster gains in mid-tier metros. WFH is still a luxury for most, and for those it isn’t, transportation, school, family, and medical facilities will still make rural living unattractive for most.