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NORTH SALT LAKE — As a petroleum engineer, Houston was the ideal place for Conor Carroll to establish his career.
But it wasn't the sort of place that Conor and Dayna Carroll wanted to sink roots.
"We both the love the outdoors," Dayna Carroll said. "We really missed camping and rock climbing. We wanted to get back to that."
So the couple began casting about for new jobs. Conor landed a position with Sinclair Oil, which meant Dayna could return to her home state of Utah. Their first child is due in December.
"It's nice to have family around, and we missed the seasons," said Dayna Carroll, who is a professional photographer.
The Carrolls are something of a rarity these days.
Times are hard and people are hunkering down where they have the best opportunity to ride it out.
–Pamela Perlich
New census figures say a record low rate of Americans changed residences between 2010 and 2011 — 11.6 percent. This is the lowest recorded rate since the Census Bureau began collecting data on the movement of people since 1948.
Pamela Perlich, senior research economist for the University of Utah Bureau of Economic and Research, said in times of uncertainty, human beings tend to stand pat.
"Times are hard and people are hunkering down where they have the best opportunity to ride it out," she said.
Employers have cut some 8 million jobs since the economic downturn began in December 2007, according updated estimates. A sizable number of those jobs will not be coming back, Perlich said.
- California to Texas (68,959 movers)
- New York to Florida (55,011)
- Florida to Georgia (49,901)
- California to Arizona (47,164)
- New Jersey to Pennsylvania (42,456)
- New York to New Jersey (41,374)
- California to Washington (39,468)
- Texas to California (36,582)
- Georgia to Florida (35,615)
- California to Nevada (35,472)
While the real estate market may stabilize over time, it will be markedly different due to lending restrictions intended to prevent a similar financial collapse in the future, she said.
In Utah, 2,239 more people moved into the state between 2010 and 2011 than moved away. Most came from California, Arizona, Idaho, Texas and Nevada. This was a significant drop from previous years, but Utah's overall mover rate of 17 percent was well above the national average.
According the Census Bureau, the reasons for moving varied according to the length of the move. When people move less than 50 miles, 40 percent did so because of housing, 2008-2009 data showed. But people who moved more than 500 miles indicated that their relocation was related to employment.
"Movers" tend to be young people seeking to improve their station in life. "It's young people who really pull the wagon. Twenty-four is the peak year for mobility," Perlich said. "It's also the peak year for fertility. It's a time of great energy, creativity and ambition."
The Carrolls have purchased a home in North Salt Lake and are preparing for the birth of their child. "It definitely worked out," Dayna Carroll said.
"Actually, it happened really quickly. I had to cancel weddings I had booked."
Email:mcortez@ksl.com
