IRS Migration Data for Pittsburgh

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, compiles annual estimates of migration based on year-to-year address changes reported on individual income tax returns. Data on population flows include the total number of filings and an estimate for the total number of individuals moving between states and between individual counties each year. The latest migration data made available by the IRS is for the 2020 filing year and reflects migration between 2019 and 2020. Here this IRS data is compiled to show the patterns of recent population migration between the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and other metropolitan and micropolitan areas (collectively known as Core Based Statistical Areas or CBSAs) across the United States.

Regions with the largest migration flows impacting the Pittsburgh MSA are typically a combination of large metropoltian areas closest to Pittsburgh, or smaller metropolitan and micropolitan areas within, or in close proximity to southwestern Pennsylvania. For 2019-2020, the regions with the largest population inflows coming into the Pittsburgh MSA include the New York City, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia MSAs. The largest migration outflows for the same period included the New Castle, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area (which is comprised of Lawrence County, PA), and the New York City and the Youngstown, OH Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

Over this same period, the largest net gains from migration came from the New York City and Los Angeles MSAs area and the largest net loss was to the Youngstown, OH MSA. Six of the ten CBSAs with the largest net outmigration Pittsburgh include areas in Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona, which likely includes significant flows retiree migration to those areas. Click on the illustration below for detailed migration flow data between Pittsburgh and CBSAs across the United States. More information on the IRS migration data is below.

Background on IRS Migration Data

The IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) division compiles this migration data in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureay. This data is estimated to capture around 80% of population migration within the United States but is less likely to include the migration of population groups who are not required to or fail to, file tax returns with the IRS. Underrepresented groups include those in low-income households or individuals filing tax returns for the first time. More information on this migration data is available online here.

The county-to-county migration data available from the IRS has been compiled here to show the geographic pattern of migration between the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and other metropolitan and micropolitan areas across the United States. The Pittsburgh MSA is currently defined as a seven-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania including Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.