Now that the economy is beginning to make a comeback, Americans are beginning to resume old patterns and are moving away from the Northeast and heading to the West and South. That's according to a recent Census report.

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"It's a typical pattern that was put on hold during the recession and the burst of the housing bubble," said Joseph Seneca, Professor of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. "It was tough for people to sell homes and job opportunities were tougher to come by. With the improving economy, the recovery in the housing market, some of the states that were hardest hit are beginning to attract people again possibly as a result of lower home prices."

There's also been a resurgence of energy dependent states.

"Texas, North Dakota and Louisiana were among the big receivers of people. The states with energy driven natural resource booms have benefited," said Seneca.

Why Are People Leaving?

The aging population in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic areas have resulted in many retired people moving in search of different lifestyles. Other factors include economic opportunities and general quality of life away from congestion and the winter weather. New York State and New York City are among the exceptions.

"New York State has had a significant increase in employment, it has recovered a lot of the jobs it lost during the recession, a lot of which is due to the attraction of Manhattan. As a result, New York State and New York City have seen significant job growth in the last couple of years," said Seneca. "That's a significant factor in retaining people."

According to the report, of the 20 counties that saw the largest inflows of people relative to their populations, 19 were in the West, the South or Great Plains states like North Dakota. Metro areas in the Northeast and Midwest, including Detroit and Philadelphia saw relatively large outflows of people between July 2011 and July 2012.

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