Where Are People Moving in October 2026? (moveBuddha Data)

See how October compared to September 2026 moving trends, when Idaho ranked #1 at 1.81 and Connecticut led the exit list for a fifth straight month.

(Updated: November 2026)

Top 10 most popular states to move to in October 2026

We compared the rate of inbound move searches (destination state) against outbound searches (origin state) to calculate each state’s in-to-out ratio. A ratio above 1.0 means more people are searching to move in than out. A total of 35 states cleared our 100-search threshold in October, and South Carolina leads second place by 0.75. Places four through six sit within five hundredths of a point of each other.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more inbound searches. Below 1.0 = more outbound searches. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, October 2026.

South Carolina returns to #1 with its highest ratio of the year

South Carolina’s ratio jumps from 1.51 to 2.39, which tops July’s 2.28 and puts the state back at #1 after a #5 finish in September. Its share of net inbound demand nearly doubles from 6.6% to 12.3%.

Florida is the top origin for South Carolina-bound searches at 14%, followed by California at 9%, and Maryland and New York at 8% each. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina posts a 3.57 ratio and returns to the city rankings after falling just short of the minimum threshold in September. Columbia, South Carolina ranks #9 among cities at 2.50, and Charleston, South Carolina holds a 1.20 ratio.

Arkansas jumps from #8 to #2 on a smaller sample

Arkansas posts a 1.64 ratio, up from 1.30 in September. The state sits only slightly above moveBuddha’s 100-search minimum, so October’s result is worth watching rather than treating as a settled trend.

Florida accounts for 38% of Arkansas-bound searches, the largest single-state share among the top 10 destinations, followed by California at 13% and Texas at 9%. No Arkansas city cleared the 20-search city threshold, which suggests the interest is spread across the state rather than being driven by one metro. Another month of data will help show whether the jump holds.

North Carolina slips to #3 as Charlotte strengthens

North Carolina’s ratio eases from 1.77 to 1.56, which moves the state from #2 to #3, and its share of net inbound demand falls from 19.0% to 11.9%. Charlotte, North Carolina improves to 2.00 from 1.72, the highest ratio of any city with more than 100 searches.

Raleigh, North Carolina rebounds to 1.61 from 1.03 and Durham posts 1.33, while Greensboro drops to 0.80 from 1.40. California is now the top origin for North Carolina-bound searches at 12%, followed by Florida at 9%, and New York and Texas at 8% each. New York led in September at 10%.

Alabama reverses again, from #9 exit state to #4 destination

Alabama’s ratio nearly doubles from 0.78 to 1.52. The reversal is especially notable because Alabama has now ranked as a top-five destination in four of the past five months, with September as the exception.

Huntsville, Alabama (1.30) and Birmingham, Alabama (1.10) both have more inbound than outbound searches, though both sit close to moveBuddha’s minimum city threshold. California is the top origin for Alabama-bound searches at 10%, followed by Texas at 9%.

Tennessee rises to #5 as Memphis and Nashville lead

Tennessee posts a 1.50 ratio, up from 1.18 and just outside the top 10 in September, while its share of net inbound demand rises from 3.7% to 7.0%. Memphis, Tennessee ranks #8 among cities at 2.57, and Nashville, Tennessee posts 1.79. California is the top origin for Tennessee-bound searches at 19%.

Florida slips to #6 but still captures 31.2% of net inbound demand

Florida’s 1.47 in-to-out ratio is down from 1.51 and moves the state from #4 to #6. But ratio alone understates how much moving interest Florida still attracts. The state remains the clear leader in overall net inbound demand.

Florida accounts for 31.2% of all net inbound move searches in October 2026, down from 33.4% in September. Texas ranks second at 14.1%, followed by South Carolina at 12.3% and North Carolina at 11.9%. Together, those four states account for 69.5% of all net inbound demand.

New York is the top origin for Florida-bound searches at 9%, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey at 8% each.

Share reflects each state’s net inbound searches as a percentage of total net inbound searches across all qualifying states. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, October 2026.

Texas returns to the top 10 and ranks #2 in net inbound share

Texas climbs from 1.05 to 1.23 and moves back into the top 10 at #8. Its share of net inbound demand rises sharply from 4.0% to 14.1%, making Texas the second-largest destination by overall net inbound demand even though it ranks eighth by ratio.

California is the top origin for Texas-bound searches at 17%, followed by Florida at 8%. San Antonio (1.27), Dallas (1.20), and Houston (1.09) all have more inbound than outbound searches, while Austin, Texas moves the other direction at 0.86.

Arizona and Michigan join the top 10, and Oregon edges Colorado for #10

Arizona ranks #7 at 1.24, up from 0.90 in September, and Michigan ranks #9 at 1.22, up from 0.73 and the #8 exit spot. Scottsdale, Arizona posts 2.63, and Phoenix improves to 1.30 from 0.90. Detroit holds a 1.17 ratio, while Florida (14%) and Texas (13%) are the top origins for Michigan-bound searches.

Oregon holds #10 at 1.16 by the narrowest of margins. Colorado ranks #11 at 1.16 as well, and Oregon’s unrounded ratio is ahead by less than two thousandths of a point. Colorado actually accounts for a slightly larger share of net inbound demand at 3.4% compared with Oregon’s 3.0%, another example of why the ratio ranking and overall demand can tell slightly different stories.

Idaho, Oregon, and Washington cool off

Idaho falls from #1 to #12, with its ratio dropping from 1.81 to 1.13. October includes a larger sample than September, and the result settles much closer to even. That’s the exact caution we flagged last month when Idaho took the top spot on comparatively limited search volume. California is still the top origin at 34%, followed by Washington at 15%, and Boise, Idaho strengthens to 1.85 from 1.40.

Oregon falls from #3 to #10 at 1.16, and its share of net inbound demand drops from 9.7% to 3.0%. Portland, Oregon eases to 1.49 from 1.63, while Eugene, Oregon falls from 1.86 to an even 1.00. California remains the top origin for Oregon-bound searches at 24%.

Washington drops from #7 to #15 at 1.00, putting inbound and outbound interest almost exactly even. Seattle holds steady at 1.42 compared with 1.44 in September. Everett, Washington adds to the state’s outbound side, though most of that activity came from one unusual burst described in the exit cities section below.

Maine, Louisiana, and Indiana leave the top 10

Maine ranked #6 in September at 1.39 but falls below moveBuddha’s minimum state search threshold in October, so it does not appear in the rankings even though its 1.56 ratio still shows more inbound than outbound interest. Louisiana falls from 1.24 to 0.86 and Indiana falls from 1.21 to 0.87, with both now showing more people searching to leave than move in.

Top 10 least popular states to move to in October 2026

Kansas takes the top exit spot, and Connecticut drops to #4 after five straight months at #1. Five of the bottom 10 states are in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, three are in the Midwest, and Kentucky and California round out the list. Ohio at 0.79 is the first state outside the bottom 10.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more inbound searches. Below 1.0 = more outbound searches. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, October 2026.

Kansas moves from #2 destination in July to #1 exit state

Kansas posts the lowest ratio in the country at 0.47. In July, Kansas ranked #2 among destination states at 1.69. It fell to the exit list in August, dropped just below moveBuddha’s minimum threshold in September, and returns to the rankings as the #1 exit state in October. That four-month progression makes Kansas one of the clearest examples of how quickly monthly search patterns can reverse.

Florida is the top destination for Kansas outbound searches at 37%, followed by Georgia at 12%, and Texas and California at 8% each. No Kansas city cleared the 20-search city threshold, so the statewide result is not being driven by one qualifying metro.

New Jersey and Maryland tie near 0.55 as Connecticut’s streak ends

New Jersey ranks #2 at 0.55, moving up the exit list from #3 as its ratio falls from 0.61. Maryland ranks #3 at 0.55, up from #5 as its ratio falls from 0.69. The two round to the same figure, and New Jersey’s unrounded ratio is slightly lower. Baltimore posts 0.57, while Newark, New Jersey is the exception at 1.17.

Connecticut moves from #1 to #4 at 0.65, ending its five-month run as the country’s top exit state. Its ratio improves from 0.51 in September, so Connecticut remains strongly outbound even though the imbalance is smaller than it was last month.

Florida is the top destination for people searching to leave New Jersey (29% of outbound searches), Connecticut (22%), and Maryland (14%). Texas ranks second for Connecticut and Maryland at 11% each, while California ranks second for New Jersey at 11%.

D.C. and Massachusetts leave the exit list

D.C. falls just short of moveBuddha’s 100-search minimum, so it does not appear in the rankings. It ranked #2 among exit states at 0.53 in September, while its October ratio improves to 0.96, nearly even. Massachusetts improves from 0.68 to 0.97, taking it from #4 on the exit list to outside the bottom 10.

Two small states would have ranked near the top of the exit list but fall below the threshold. Vermont posts 0.28 and Nebraska posts 0.45, so neither appears in the table above. Their low ratios are worth noting, but the smaller samples make them more volatile from month to month.

Pennsylvania rises on the exit list as Kentucky and Virginia join

Pennsylvania moves from #10 to #5 at 0.67, down from 0.83 in September. Pittsburgh flips from 1.82 in September, when it ranked #10 among destination cities, to 0.86 in October. Philadelphia posts 0.83. That reversal in Pittsburgh helps explain why Pennsylvania’s statewide result moved more strongly outbound this month.

Kentucky ranks #6 at 0.69 and sits just above moveBuddha’s minimum state search threshold. Virginia ranks #10 at 0.73, and both Arlington, Virginia (0.52) and Norfolk, Virginia (0.54) appear on the exit city list. Florida is the top destination for people searching to leave Pennsylvania (27%), Kentucky (24%), and Virginia (18%).

California keeps the largest gap between outbound and inbound searches

California holds #7 as its ratio falls from 0.73 to 0.70. Even with a mid-pack exit ranking by ratio, California still has the largest gap between outbound and inbound searches of any state in moveBuddha’s October data. That gap is more than twice as large as New Jersey’s, the next biggest.

That makes California another reminder that the ratio ranking does not tell the whole story. A state with enormous search volume can rank lower on the exit list while still accounting for far more net outbound interest than a smaller state with a lower ratio.

Texas is the top destination for California outbound searches at 13%, followed by Florida, New York, and Oregon at 6% each. Los Angeles posts 0.56, and San Francisco falls to 0.74 from 1.04. San Jose, California flips the other way to 1.67 from 0.69, and Sacramento, California moves to an even 1.00 from 0.69.

Missouri and Wisconsin hold exit spots in the Midwest

Missouri ranks #8 at 0.71, compared with #6 and 0.70 in September. St. Louis posts a 0.39 ratio and is one of the strongest city-level contributors to Missouri’s outbound result, while Kansas City improves to 0.68 from 0.43.

Wisconsin enters the bottom 10 at #9 with 0.73, down from an even 1.00 in September, and Madison, Wisconsin posts 0.60. Florida is the top destination for outbound searches from both states, at 19% for Missouri and 18% for Wisconsin.

Top 10 most popular cities to move to in October 2026

October’s city rankings again lean toward Florida, which places five cities in the top 10. Fort Collins, Colorado takes the #1 spot, and South Carolina (two cities), Arizona, and Tennessee add the other four. Only Sarasota, Ocala, and Columbia, South Carolina carry over from September’s top 10.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more inbound searches. Below 1.0 = more outbound searches. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, October 2026.

Fort Collins leads all cities, but on a small sample

Fort Collins, Colorado posts a 6.00 in-to-out ratio, the highest of any qualifying city in October. It only narrowly clears moveBuddha’s minimum city search threshold, so the result is worth watching rather than treating as a settled trend.

Colorado ranks #11 among states at 1.16, just outside the top 10. Denver posts 1.54, and Colorado Springs, Colorado posts 1.31. Texas is the top origin for Colorado-bound searches at 20%. The broader state picture is positive, but Fort Collins’ unusually high ratio stands well above the rest of Colorado’s qualifying cities.

Florida lands five cities, and its biggest metros all strengthen

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (4.00), Sarasota, Florida (3.80), Ocala, Florida (3.60), Fort Myers, Florida (3.40), and Jacksonville, Florida (2.17) give Florida five of the top 10 cities. Fort Lauderdale sits right at moveBuddha’s minimum city search threshold, while Sarasota and Ocala remain near the top after tying for #2 at 5.50 in September.

The bigger change is happening in Florida’s largest metros. Jacksonville rises to 2.17, Orlando to 1.72, Miami to 1.28, and Tampa to 1.19. In September, all four sat between 1.02 and 1.08. That suggests October’s Florida demand is broader than it was last month, when the strongest ratios were concentrated mainly in smaller and mid-size markets. Naples moves the other way, falling from 3.00 to 1.67.

Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Memphis, and Scottsdale round out the list

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ranks #5 at 3.57. It ranked #1 in August at 8.33 and fell below moveBuddha’s city threshold in September. Columbia, South Carolina ranks #9 at 2.50, up from 2.14 in September. Having two cities in the top 10 gives South Carolina’s return to the #1 state spot more city-level support than it had last month.

Memphis, Tennessee ranks #8 at 2.57 and Scottsdale, Arizona ranks #7 at 2.63, supporting Tennessee’s #5 and Arizona’s #7 state finishes. Charlotte, North Carolina just misses at #11 with a 2.00 ratio and has the largest sample of any city with a ratio of 2.00 or higher. Boise, Idaho (1.85) and Nashville, Tennessee (1.79) follow at #12 and #13.

Small samples can swing quickly. Chandler, Arizona ranked #1 in September at 6.00 and falls to 0.62 in October, while Gilbert, Arizona drops from 1.78 to 0.67. Mesa, Arizona goes the other way, rising from 0.62 to 1.38. The Phoenix-area reversals are a good reminder that one month’s city ranking can change sharply when search volume is relatively limited.

Top 10 least popular cities to move to in October 2026

None of September’s top 10 exit cities carries over to October. Cincinnati moves to an even 1.00, while Buffalo, New York (1.33) and Mesa, Arizona (1.38) now have more inbound than outbound searches. Oklahoma City, Fremont, and Tallahassee tie at 0.50, and the table lists them in order of search volume.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more inbound searches. Below 1.0 = more outbound searches. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, October 2026.

Everett, Washington posts the lowest ratio, but one burst drives it

Everett, Washington ranks #1 on the exit list at 0.04, with one inbound search against 23 outbound. The result needs context. Of those 23 outbound searches, 17 came within about an hour, all with the same pickup date, which looks like one person comparing multiple destinations.

Without that burst, Everett would fall below moveBuddha’s minimum city threshold. Treat Everett as a data quirk rather than a broader trend.

St. Louis, Omaha, and Oklahoma City add to the central U.S. exit story

St. Louis ranks #3 at 0.39 and helps explain Missouri’s #8 exit state ranking. Omaha, Nebraska ranks #4 at 0.45, while Oklahoma City ranks #5 at 0.50. Together with Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin on the state list, those city results suggest October’s outbound interest is more concentrated in the middle of the country than it was in September.

Los Angeles is the largest exit market as Washington, D.C. and Atlanta ease

Los Angeles posts 0.56, putting it just outside the top 10 at #11 and down from 0.81 in September. Two California cities make the list, with Long Beach at 0.33 and Fremont at 0.50. Even though Los Angeles misses the top 10 by ratio, its much larger search volume makes it one of October’s most significant outbound city markets.

Washington, D.C. improves from 0.53 to 0.96, and Atlanta improves from 0.61 to 0.78. Both remain below 1.0, but the gap between inbound and outbound interest is much smaller than it was in September.

Arlington, Norfolk, Tallahassee, and Rochester complete the list

Arlington, Virginia ranks #8 at 0.52 and Norfolk, Virginia ranks #10 at 0.54, which lines up with Virginia’s #10 exit state ranking. Virginia Beach moves to an even 1.00 from 0.56 in September, while Richmond posts 0.77. That mix suggests Virginia’s outbound pattern is concentrated more heavily in certain cities than across the state uniformly.

Tallahassee, Florida ranks #7 at 0.50, standing out against Florida’s strong statewide ratio and five top-10 destination cities. Rochester, New York ranks #9 at 0.53.

Where people are moving within their own state

Interstate moves drive the migration story, but a meaningful share of October searches also came from people planning moves within their own state. Local rankings are influenced more by population size and how often people search for moves within a state than by whether the state is gaining or losing interstate interest overall.

Rankings based on volume of local and intrastate move searches. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, October 2026.

California and Texas remain the top two for local moves

California ranks #1 for local search activity again in October, with Texas close behind at #2. The two states also held the top two spots in September, but the gap between them narrows considerably this month.

California ranks #7 on the interstate exit list, while Texas ranks #8 on the destination list. Those results can coexist because both states are large enough to support heavy movement within their borders regardless of which direction interstate searches lean.

Georgia returns to the top 10 as Ohio drops out

Georgia ranks #7, up from #11 in September. Ohio drops from #5 to #11, while Illinois slips from #8 to #10. North Carolina moves up to #5 and Pennsylvania to #6.

The local rankings again show why within-state activity tells a different story from interstate migration. North Carolina can rank near the top for inbound interstate interest and local activity at the same time, while Pennsylvania can rank highly for local moves even as more interstate searches point out of the state.

New Jersey and Michigan tie at #8

New Jersey and Michigan tie at #8 for local search activity. New Jersey is also the #2 exit state this month, while Michigan is the #9 destination state. The contrast shows how much local moving activity can remain even when the two states are moving in very different directions on interstate searches.

What October 2026 moving trends tell us

October reverses several of September’s biggest stories. South Carolina is back on top, Alabama and Michigan move from the exit list to the destination list, and Idaho and Oregon give back most of their September gains. Many of these swings come from states with modest search volume, so a single month is worth reading with caution.

The top six destination states are all in the South. South Carolina, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida fill the first six spots, and Arizona and Texas follow at #7 and #8. That gives Southern and Southwestern states eight of the top 10 places.

Florida and Texas still lead on overall demand. Together, they capture 45.3% of all net inbound demand, with Florida at 31.2% and Texas at 14.1%. Florida’s ratio is lower than in September, but its biggest metros — including Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, and Tampa — all strengthen and post more inbound than outbound searches.

The Pacific Northwest cooled. Idaho falls from #1 to #12, Oregon from #3 to #10, and Washington lands at an even 1.00. California is still the top origin for Idaho-bound (34%) and Oregon-bound (24%) searches, so the California-to-Northwest connection remains even as the destination ratios soften.

Alabama and Chandler are the best reminders not to read too much into one month. Alabama went from the #9 exit state in September to the #4 destination in October, while Chandler, Arizona went from the #1 city at 6.00 to 0.62. Both reversals show how quickly monthly rankings can move, especially when search volume is relatively limited.

More outbound interest shows up in the middle of the country. Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin hold three of the bottom 10 state spots, while St. Louis, Omaha, and Oklahoma City sit on the exit city list. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic still hold five spots through New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Florida is the top destination for outbound searches from nine of the 10 exit states, with California the exception, where Texas leads.

November will help show which of these changes are sticking. The biggest things to watch are whether South Carolina holds a ratio near 2.0, whether Arkansas stays above the 100-search threshold, whether D.C. and Maine return to the rankings, and whether Kansas stays at the bottom of the exit list.

FAQ

Methodology & sources

Ryan Carrigan

Ryan Carrigan is the co-founder of moveBuddha and a leading voice in the moving industry, helping hundreds of thousands of Americans make smarter, safer relocation decisions each year. With more than a decade of experience analyzing moving companies, pricing trends, and industry regulations, Ryan brings hands-on industry knowledge and data-driven insight to every guide and review. His research has been featured in Forbes, Consumer Reports, The New York Times, and NBC News.