As a result of the state of the economy and high rates of unemployment in some states, people flocked out of the Rust Belt and western regions, migrating to more promising states in the Southwest, Northeast and Southeast
, according to the 2009 Atlas Van Lines Migration Patterns study.

The study indicated that residents in the Rust Belt states decided to relocate, as steel and manufacturing industry jobs were down. While people tend to move westward historically, California, Nevada and Oregon were plagued by heavy job losses in construction, manufacturing and tourism, causing people to migrate out.

People leaving these states made the move to Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, which became a popular destination for first time in five years. Other popular destinations in 2009 included the South Atlantic states of Virginia, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. For the first time in four years, Maryland joins the Southeast pocket of states as inbound. In the Northeast, Vermont and New Hampshire have surfaced as popular places to live.

Washington, D.C. had the highest percentage of inbound traffic for the fourth year in a row, while Connecticut had the highest percentage of outbound traffic. New Jersey and South Dakota narrowly follow Connecticut to round out the top three outbound states.

"Atlas' migration study takes the pulse of our nation--it reflects the economic climate and is a guide to the general migration patterns throughout the country," said Glen Dunkerson, chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group. "The results this year are surprising, because many states that have for years been outbound, inbound, or balanced have changed."