Oregon Department of Transportation

People continued to flock to Oregon in 2018, according to the people who brought their stuff over the state line.

Two of the nation's largest moving companies ranked the state among their top 10 destinations for the year, each drawing on data from its own business.

United Van Lines, based in St. Louis, said Oregon was the second biggest destination. It said 63.8 percent of moves to or from the state were inbound. The lopsided percentage was second only to Vermont, where 72.6 percent of moves were inbound.

That company had New Jersey as the state where the most residents were fleeing. Some 66.8 percent of movers there were headed elsewhere.

Atlas Van Lines, based in Evansville, Indiana, also ranked Oregon among its top 10, though it wasn't as much the standout by that company's estimation. It put Oregon at No. 6, with 57.1 percent of contracts moving in.

The top destination was Nevada (67.8 percent inbound), while the top state for moving out was West Virginia (61.7 percent outbound). It's the first time either state held its respective distinction, the company said.

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As recently as 2015, both companies said Oregon ranked first.

Work was the biggest reason people moved to or from Oregon, followed by family reasons or retirement, according to United, which surveyed its customers. Nearly half of the state's moves were for a job, with moves in for work (47.2 percent) slightly outpaced moves out (45.6 percent).

More people who said they were moving for lifestyle reasons moved into Oregon (16.7 percent) than moved out (12.1 percent), according to United. But more people who said they were moving for health reasons moved out (10.7 percent) than in (4.2 percent).

Moving companies capture only a small segment of overall migration -- those households that hire professional moving companies. According to the American Moving & Storage Association, that's only about one in five interstate movers.

Phoenix-based U-Haul, meanwhile, said moves into Oregon just barely outpaced moves out among one-way truck rentals. That was enough to rank it at No. 14 in net arrivals.

Oregon no longer ranks among the 10 fastest-growing states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Its 44,000 new residents in 2018 represented a 1.1 percent increase, landing the state at No. 11 for fastest growth.

Move to or from Oregon this year? Tell a reporter about why you moved for future reporting.

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United Van Lines top inbound states

1. Vermont (72.6 percent inbound)

2. Oregon (63.8 percent)

3. Idaho (62.4 percent)

4. Nevada (61.8 percent)

5. Arizona (60.2 percent)

6. South Carolina (59.9 percent)

7. Washington (58.8 percent)

8. North Carolina (57 percent)

9. South Dakota (57 percent)

10. District of Columbia (60.2 percent)

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United Van Lines top outbound states

1. New Jersey (66.8 percent outbound)

2. Illinois (65.9 percent)

3. Connecticut (62 percent)

4. New York (61.5 percent)

5. Kansas (58.7 percent)

6. Ohio (56.5 percent)

7. Massachusetts (55.7 percent)

8. Iowa (55.5 percent)

9. Montana (55 percent)

10. Michigan (55 percent)

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Atlas Van Lines top inbound states

1. Nevada (67.8 percent inbound)

2. Idaho (66.2 percent)

3. North Carolina (62.6 percent)

4. New Hampshire (57.3 percent)

5. Tennessee (57.2 percent)

6. Oregon (57.1 percent)

7. Washington (57.0 percent)

8. Alabama (56.5 percent)

9. New Mexico (56.0 percent)

10. Washington D.C. (55.7 percent)

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Atlas Van Lines top outbound states

1. West Virginia (61.7 percent outbound)

2. Wyoming (61.4 percent)

3. Illinois (61.2 percent)

4. New York (61.0 percent)

5. Connecticut (59.9 percent)

6. Louisiana (58.2 percent)

7. Nebraska (58.1 percent)

8. Kansas (57.4 percent)

9. South Dakota (56.9 percent)

10. New Jersey (56.7 percent)

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U-Haul top inbound states

1. Texas

2. Florida

3. South Carolina

4. Utah

5. Idaho

6. Maryland

7. Vermont

8. Tennessee

9. New Hampshire

10. Maine

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U-Haul top outbound states

1. Illinois

2. Michigan

3. California

4. Louisiana

5. Massachusetts

6. Kentucky

7. Pennsylvania

8. New Jersey

9. Alabama

10. Iowa

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-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com; 503-294-5034; @enjus

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