Midwest
Arkansas tops the list of most popular places to move in 2024: Study
A new study found that Arkansas, known for its natural beauty, was the most popular state to move to in 2024, with Americans citing job opportunities, proximity to friends and family and affordability as their primary moving motivators.
According to the national mover Atlas Van Lines’ annual Migration Patterns Study, the 2024 data shows the highest number of “balanced” states in the last five years, meaning a relatively even number of people are moving in and out of states.
The study revealed that 2024 also brought the lowest number of outbound states in over five years, conveying that many people may not be moving at all. Atlas Van Lines suggested these numbers are likely the result of the “lock-in effect,” wherein low-interest mortgages keep homeowners around and drive housing prices up.
Rhode Island came in at No. 2 for inbound states, followed by North Carolina, Washington, D.C., (not technically a state), Idaho, Tennessee, Maine, Connecticut, Washington state and Alaska. The study does not rank the states by actual number of people who moved in or out, but rather it calculates the highest percentage of inbound and outbound moves within the last year — based on the total number of shipments multiplied by 0.55 (i.e., in a state with 100 moves, at least 55 must be outgoing to be considered outbound).
AMERICANS FLOCKING FROM MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITIES TO THESE SOUTHERN ‘EX BURBS’
Boy jumps in the Buffalo River at the Ozark National Forest Park, Arkansas, USA. ((Photo by: Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images))
The study indicated that increasing return-to-office (RTO) mandates from Fortune 500 Companies like Amazon, Walmart and CVS coincide with the top inbound states of Arkansas, Rhode Island and Washington.
Atlas COO Ryan McConnell told Fox News Digital he wasn’t surprised to see Arkansas top the list, citing positive indicators on affordability, interest rates, and home inventories and prices. Corporate giants like Walmart and Tyson Foods have long been headquartered in the state and made heavy investments there.
“What you see in that state are good cost of living, low crime rates, and a lot of green space if you’ve been in the northwest part,” he said. “You’re seeing corporate America flock there which is actually driving some of that relocation into the state … A lot of what we see from the interstate mobility perspective is driven by work.”
Louisiana topped the list of states people left, with Americans citing a difficult job market and increased costs of living.
“The Bayou State” is followed by California, Illinois, South Dakota and New York as the top outbound states of 2024.
“Three of the most populous and expensive states to live in – California, Illinois, and New York – were on this year’s outbound list. Illinois and New York have remained firmly on the outbound list for over five years, but California was balanced from 2022 to 2024. Its return to the outbound list, when so many other states are balanced, is noteworthy,” a press release from Atlas Van Lines noted.
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Affordability and job opportunities are some of the main factors driving Americans to Arkansas.
In August 2024, Atlas surveyed 1,135 consumers who had moved in the past three years, either on their own or with a moving service. Results show that 32% moved for a new job, 25% moved to be closer to friends or family, and 10% moved for affordability reasons. The remaining 33% cited reasons that include climate/weather, safety, relationship changes, education, retirement, or health reasons.
In 2023, Maine was the top inbound state in the United States, while Illinois was the top outbound state.
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ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 9) – A man from Illinois is facing felony charges after police say he took part in a scheme that convinced a Rochester resident to hand over thousands of dollars in cash and nearly fell for a gold bar handoff.
Rochester phone scam
What we know:
According to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County District Court, police say the victim was contacted by phone and told he was under investigation for a crime. The caller convinced him to deliver $30,000 in cash to a man he met in person on June 17, 2026.
The victim was then pressured to arrange a second delivery — this time, 10 one-ounce gold bars — on June 23, 2026. Detectives worked with the victim to set up a controlled delivery using fake gold bars and a GPS tracker.
Charges state that the plan was for the victim to meet whoever arrived to pick up the package, while officers watched nearby. Surveillance officers saw a white SUV with Illinois plates circling the parking lot at 2711 Commerce Drive NW in Rochester.
The complaint states a man, later identified as Kiranbhai Kanubhai Vasava, got out, met the victim, gave the password and took the package. Officers followed the car as it left the scene. Detectives stop suspects and recover cash
Why you should care:
Police stopped the SUV near Eyota and searched it, finding $50,000 in cash, several cell phones, bank checks with Vasava’s name, and packaging materials similar to those used for the fake gold bars. The package with the GPS tracker and fake gold was missing, but officers later found the GPS device torn apart on the side of the highway.
The second man in the car, Hemendrasinh Pravinsinh Dabhi, told police he got a call from India about a package but claimed he knew nothing about it, saying, “he just drives.” Vasava also denied knowing what was happening.
Kiranbhai Vasava linked to Wisconsin case
The backstory:
The complaint states detectives linked Vasava to another similar case in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where a bank customer was convinced to hand over $50,000 in cash to a driver in a white Honda SUV. Video from that incident showed Vasava receiving the package.
Police say this type of swindle involves convincing victims they are under investigation and must pay money or hand over valuables to clear their name. Detectives say the investigation involved coordination between local police and law enforcement in Wisconsin.
The Source: Criminal charges filed in Olmsted County Court.
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — It’s fair season and a new law uncorks adult beverage sales!
The new Indiana law will go into effect July 1st, making it legal to sell alcohol at county fairs.
The Kosciusko County Fair is set to kick off in just a few weeks and Indiana is officially allowing alcohol to be sold.
The law is bringing back something that’s not necessarily new to this fair.
Here’s what you need to know
The new law will go into effect on July 1st. It officially allows county fairs to apply for fee-free permits to sell alcohol.
Officials with the Kosciusko County Fair say they are participating this year. They are implementing the same guidelines they used when they sold alcohol just at grandstand events.
The difference now is, you can walk around the grounds with your drink. But strict guidelines will be in place for purchasing a drink.
“Actually, we’ve never had any issues. Because we card everybody, so we take that seriously. We also got the ID guides so we can identify the different types of IDs,” said Sheal Dirck, Treasurer of Kosciusko County Fair.
The Kosciusko County Fair already have guidelines in place, so this was an easy transition for the fair.
They will be the only vendors selling alcohol, which will make it easier to control distribution.
The sales will also bring in more revenue.
“Hopefully it allows to keep our ticket prices where they are because right now, insurance, utilities and everything else is going sky high and it’s hard to make ends meet,” said Dirck.
However, some fairs cannot participate because of the July 1st start date, like the Pulaski County Fair, which is going on right now. Pulaski County officials said it is on the agenda for next year. Whereas other fairs are choosing to sit this year out.
“We wanted not spend some time to, to see what that really means for us. It was not a decision we wanted to rush into. But we are happy for the option of it,” said Shelly Steury, GM of Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds.
Leaders at the St. Joseph County and Elkhart County Fairs said neither of them are selling alcohol.
The Kosciusko County Fair is the only fair that will sell alcohol in our area this year.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) -Water and wastewater utility rates in Iowa City will increase starting July 1, following a city council decision on May 19.
The water utility rate will increase by 3%, while the wastewater rate will increase by 5%.
The increases are part of a funding model to help recover the costs of providing water and wastewater services to Iowa City residents.
The new rates will take effect in tandem with Iowa City’s 2027 fiscal year and apply to customers served by the Iowa City Water Division and the Iowa City Wastewater Division.
The city said the rate adjustment supports its continued provision of safe and reliable water service.
To learn more about the city’s utilities, visit their website.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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