IRS data helps identify moving trends

IRS logoIf you’d like to know where people from your region are moving, or from where new residents are coming, the Internal Revenue Service has the data.

The IRS provides databases on moving patterns, based on whether a person files their tax return from a different address from year to year. The data is available down to the county level, and offers a wealth of opportunities for journalists and other researchers.

Read our last story on migration, complete with an interactive map. We found all seven counties in Greater Cleveland are losing people to migration out of the area. This is even true for growing counties. Their gains were the result of local moves, not because they were attracting people from outside the region. Where are people going? Most often to Columbus, Phoenix and Charlotte.