The COVID-19 pandemic and residential mobility intentions in the United States: Evidence from Google Trends data.

Abstract

The COVID‐19 pandemic has disrupted people's lives through economic challenges, closure of worksites and schools and increased health risks. These disruptions can trigger new residential needs and preferences, but little research has been done regarding the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on moving intentions. We theorized how the pandemic could influence intentions of making different types of residential moves. Using Google Trends data, we conducted a time‐series analysis to assess the transitory, short‐term and long‐lasting changes in various types of mobility intentions since the pandemic. Results show that thoughts about temporary relocation surged at the onset of the COVID‐19 epidemic and then experienced a long‐term decrease. Intentions to move through housing purchases and rentals briefly declined at the beginning of the pandemic but then surpassed their normal levels in the following months. Thoughts about moving in with family or parents increased by almost 50% during the pandemic. These trends were also reflected in Google searches for moving services, which exhibited an initial decline followed by a long‐term increase. The results demonstrate that the COVID‐19 pandemic has not only posed obstacles that lowered moving intentions but also has created new needs and desires for moving.