Record-breaking cold like Sunday’s isn’t stopping folks from moving to South Dakota. According to new Census data posted by Governing, South Dakota is tied with Maine for the 18th-highest net migration rate. For the 12 months ending July 1, 2016, South Dakota saw net migration of 3.0 people per 1,000 population. The top destination states were Florida (16.0 per 1,000), Nevada (14.4) and Oregon (14.0). The biggest losers were North Dakota (–6.2), Illinois (–6.5), and Wyoming (–6.5).
South Dakota had the second-best migration rate (assuming you like folks moving here, which I know some of my neighbors don’t) in the seven-state region. Montana beat us; Minnesota was right behind us:
| State | 2011–2012 | 2012–2013 | 2013–2014 | 2014–2015 | 2015–2016 | Rank 2016 |
| Montana | 4.3 | 6.2 | 5.2 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 13 |
| South Dakota | 6.7 | 6.9 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 3 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 0.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 21 |
| Nebraska | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 23 |
| Iowa | 0.2 | 2 | 2 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 24 |
| North Dakota | 18 | 25.2 | 14.6 | 15.3 | -6.2 | 49 |
| Wyoming | 10.2 | 5.2 | -3.9 | -0.1 | -6.5 | 50 |
Over the last five years, net migration has picked up in Montana and Minnesota, tapered off in South Dakota, and plunged in North Dakota and Wyoming (think oil and coal prices). Nationwide, Americans are moving around at the lowest rate on record. 11.2% of Americans moved in the 12 months preceding July 1, 2016.
How does the anti-Muslim cowards feel about Nets migrating to South Dakota? Bet they have an unfavorable view of Net terrorists.
If a majority of SoDak residents don’t want people to move to the state then “to heck with progress”. Just stay the same and go spend your vacation money in somebody else’s state. Geeez. Every state has a right to it’s own opinions on growth and with a state comprised of mostly German/Americans there’s never going to be a reason to stop complaining. Complaining is the official state hobby. Is it fear of new people with new ideas? Is it fear of new social interaction with someone you haven’t known all your life? What would make a person not want to be around new people? Thoughts? Maybe it’s not a majority that don’t want new folks coming in. Maybe its just a few, that don’t.
Young couple who moved to SD from Virginia (Welder and nurse) who go to our church: They were both interviewed and hired via Skype interviews, rented an apartment online, and moved here without ever setting foot in SD. Channelling Grudz, this internet thingy sure changed things.
I do have to wonder, however, how much of the migration is Mydakotaaddress type.
Hiring practices have been done like that for at least a decade, Troy.
Jenny,
I was making a generational comment. I am a kick the tire kinda guy. I can’t imagine taking a job at a place I’ve never seen or met anyone face to face, choose a place to live I’ve never seen in a region of the country and town I’ve never been in while the couple I met thought it wholly normal.
Is there a way to determine what percentage of the new citizens are of RV persuasion?
Jerry,
The numbers are from the census bureau and their interim (between the actual count) numbers are extracted from a variety of inputs but vehicle registrations aren’t a factor. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/methodology.html
“For state and county total estimates, we calculate county-to-county net domestic migration based on three data sources: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax exemptions, change in Medicare enrollment, and change in the group quarters population (described in the “Group Quarters” section). For state and county estimates by demographic characteristics, we rely primarily on a combination of IRS tax exemptions and a Person Demographic Characteristics File (PDCF).”
PS. The IRS determines your tax domicile as the state you spend the most time. Any “RV person” in these numbers would be only those who spend the most of their time in SD and I guess where else should the census bureau put them? They have to put them someplace as otherwise their state totals wouldn’t add up to their national total.