It may not come as much of a surprise to you, but in the year 2011 moving rose about 7 percent. The economy has a lot to do with all of this. People are losing their jobs, or they are being forced to move to keep their jobs. Others are downsizing, and trying to make the best of a bad situation. Moving companies are very happy with all of these numbers, and they are happy to profit from all of this, but some people are wondering where everyone is choosing to move. Keep reading to find out more.

Up North

People were busy last year moving in the Northern states, but they were busy moving away from the North. Maybe they just got sick of the cold weather, and decided to seek out warmth and humidity in the Southern states.

There were more people leaving Virginia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts than any other state in the North. What could be causing so many people to leave these beautiful states. Our guess is the economy. While these states may not have the highest cost of living, it could be that they faced record unemployment. People want a change, and they are taking it anywhere they can find it, even if it means that they have to move to get it.

In the South

People do everything differently in the South. More people left the wonderful state of Louisiana in 2011. The steady flow of hurricanes and then the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster have been the cause of most of these moves. It looks like more people have packed their bags and headed for the big state of Texas. Texas has a lot to offer people and its size could be the number one reason more people decided to move there. The hot plains of New Mexico, and the Mountains of North Carolina come in a close second for states that had a lot of people moving into them on 2011.

What about the states in the Midwest?

It seems like everyone has decided that Midwest life was not that good. There were a lot of people that moved away from the Midwest in 2011. The rest of the states in the Midwest are balanced. They have the same amount of people leaving and the same amount of people moving in.

How about the West Coast?

Last, but definitely not least is the West Coast. Everything is a little different on the West Coast. It seems that most of the states on the West Coast are properly balanced. They have the same amount of people moving in as the same amount of people moving out. The higher cost of living in some of the western states make the West Coast a difficult move for most people.

If this were a contest, it looks like the South would win hands down. There were more people that moved to the Southern states in 2011 than any other place in the country.

There are plenty of great cities to call home in the United States, but none of them can even come close to the Windy City of Chicago. Is Chicago everything that you hoped it would be? Autoshipping.org has put together this handy guide that will help you decide if Chicago is the city that you want to call home.

Understanding the size and scope of Chicago

Chicago is a large city, both in terms of actual physical size and population. It is estimated that over 2.7 million people are living in Chicago, and as you read this article that number has just gone up. Chicago sits on 234 square miles of land. That puts just over 11,000 people per square mile. If you are looking for some wide open space with very few people, then Chicago is not it. It is the third most populated city in the entire United States.

Chicago is much more than one city. There is an entire area of cities that surround it. This entire area has been called Chicagoland, and it is home to around 10 million people.

How is the weather

If you plan on living in Chicago for an entire year, then you will be treated to four full seasons. Chicago’s far distance from the Equator allows for Winters where you will get to experience snow, ice cold wind, and plenty of ice. When Summer rolls around, it can get very hot and humid, but luckily this only lasts for about two months. Spring and Fall are the two most popular seasons because the temperatures are mild.

Enjoy the food

Chicago has its own style of food. It is home to the world famous Chicago style stuffed pizza. This is unlike any other pizza in the world, but there is much more than pizza in Chicago. You will also find an entire unique line of sandwiches that originate in Chicago. These sandwiches range from an Italian Beef sandwich to the famous Mother In Law Sandwich.

Get ready for some serious sports

If you are a sports fan, then you will love Chicagoland because there are plenty of sports to keep you entertained. It has been named the best sports city in the United States, and people love to watch and participate as much as possible.

For Baseball, there are the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. Football has the world famous Chicago Bears, and basketball has the Chicago Bulls.

Enjoying the city

There is always plenty to do in Chicago. There is a very active nightlife that is full of clubs, bars and restaurants, and you will find that most of them are open during the day as well. There is never a shortage of things to do. There are some lovely places to shop, some really nice parks, and there is Lake Shore Drive which is located on a huge portion of lakefront property.

Is Chicago the right home for you? This information on the Windy City should be able to help you make that decision.