2025 Moving Trends Report: Where are Americans looking to move right now?
(Update: October 3, 2025)
Fall 2025 Moving Trends:
- South Carolina is the #1 state for moves in 2025, with way more searches for moves into the state than out (1.97 in-to-out move ratio). That’s six straight years at the top.
- The surprise growth story of 2025? Wisconsin (+79%), Mississippi (+55%) and Minnesota (+40%) are seeing the biggest increases in net inbound searches compared to 2024.
- North Carolina earns the highest volume of net searches in 2025 for people moving into the state from other states, followed by Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee.
- California exit searches dropped by half from 2024, but it still has the highest exit rate in 2025 (0.63).
- Retirement hotspots still dominate, half of 2025’s top inbound cities are major retirement hubs including #1 Myrtle Beach, SC.
- Mid-sized is the right size in top move-to cities like #3 Vancouver, WA (1.97), #4 Greenville, SC (1.85), and #7 Chattanooga, TN (1.70). The same goes for college and research hubs such as #6 Durham, NC (1.78) and #9 Fort Collins, CO (1.61).
- The exodus map shifts east. Rochester (0.45) and Albany (0.46) now top the 2025 exodus list, and only two California cities are among the top 10.
Despite a recent uptick, this year’s drag on home sales is showing up in moving patterns, too.
Yet, there are still those who are pulling the trigger. They’re aiming for buyer-friendly states and suburban enclaves where a mortgage won’t break the bank.
We examined 160,000 searches made in 2025, using moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator to uncover the moving trends shaping 2025.
Here’s what we found.
Table of Contents:
I. Which states are moves headed to in 2025?
II. Which are 2025’s least popular states to move to?
III. Which cities are most desirable in 2025?
Methodology & Sources
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I. Moving Trends by State: 2025’s most popular states
Nationwide, which states are attracting interest from prospective movers at the highest rates in 2025?
We analyzed moveBuddha search data and compared the rate of searches for moves into a state vs. out of a state to uncover 2025’s most popular states to move to this year, so far.
The most popular state in 2025 is still South Carolina
South Carolina is not only doing a great job of retaining residents, but it’s also maintaining a place of popularity for movers coming in from other states. It’s the 6th year in a row that movers have shown more than double the interest for moves in than out.
Click the year “button” below to see the year-to-year change in moving trends:
And it’s not just this Southern home of sweet tea and barbecue. Neighboring states North Carolina (1.61) and Tennessee (1.51) also consistently rake in significantly more searches for moves in vs. out.
Here are the most popular states that people are moving to in 2025, so far:
| Rank | State | In-To-Out Move Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina | 1.97 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 1.61 |
| 3 | Idaho | 1.60 |
| 4 | Alaska | 1.56 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 1.51 |
| 6 | Maine | 1.49 |
| 6 | Delaware | 1.41 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 1.34 |
| 9 | Alabama | 1.34 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 1.33 |
In which states is moving demand rising in 2025?
Only 16 of 50 states gained ground year-over-year in net inbound move searches.
Wisconsin leads the pack with the biggest year-over-year jump in inbound move searches, followed by Mississippi, Minnesota, Michigan, and Delaware.
The breakout states aren’t the usual suspects.
The Upper Midwest saw some of the largest year-over-year increases in net inbound searches, with Wisconsin (+79%) and Minnesota (+40%) leading the way, joined by Michigan (+32%).
In the South, Mississippi (+55%) stood out, while on the East Coast, it was Delaware (+27%), where people are looking to move way more this year than last.
Together, these states signal a broadening of demand beyond the South’s perennial magnets, as movers look for affordability and overlooked alternatives.
California is also worth a shout: our data shows that the overall net inflow was cut in half, from -14,255 net searches in 2024 to -7,246 in 2025. But don’t mistake that for a rebound: California remains an exit state, holding one of the lowest in-to-out ratios in the country.
The states with the highest net volume of searches for moves in: North Carolina #1
When it comes to total net inbound volume, though, the big states still dominate.
Here are the 5 states with the highest net volume of searches for moves in: North Carolina leads with 17.5% of all net inbound searches, followed by Florida (14.1%), South Carolina (13.7%), Texas (10.8%), and Tennessee (9.6%).
Together, these 5 states account for nearly two-thirds of all net interest in inbound moves.
II. 2025’s least popular states to move to
For outbound moves, densely populated urban states are the least popular destinations, with many more people looking to leave than relocate there.
Least popular states of 2025
| Rank | State | In-To-Out Move Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 0.63 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 0.64 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 0.67 |
| 4 | New York | 0.70 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 0.71 |
| 6 | Maryland | 0.72 |
| 7 | Nebraska | 0.78 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 0.79 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 0.83 |
| 10 | Vermont | 0.84 |
California and New Jersey have been among the top exit states since 2020, largely due to high housing costs, property taxes, and lengthy commutes. Connecticut and New York follow suit, both losing residents at a faster rate than they can attract new ones.
In addition to being densely populated, they face affordability challenges in an America struggling with persistent inflation and pay that hasn’t kept up. Particularly affected are states like New Jersey, which have the highest property taxes, deal with exorbitant real estate and rent prices, and increasingly see corporate headquarters leave the state, taking jobs with them. Nearby Connecticut (0.67) is facing the same challenges and is also losing residents.
Even smaller states like Maryland, Rhode Island, and Vermont appear, showing that it’s not just price, but also limited housing and job options, that are driving people out.
III. Which cities are especially popular to move to in 2025?
The city story mirrors the state story: movers are still favoring the Southeast and Sunbelt. Seven of the top ten are located in the Carolinas and Florida, with the rest spread across the Northwest, the Rockies, and Tennessee.
At the top is #1 Myrtle Beach, SC, which draws 2.41 inbound moves for every 1 outbound.
Top cities to move to in 2025
Here are the top cities people are moving to in 2025:
| Rank | City, State | In-To-Out Move Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 2.41 |
| 2 | Wilmington, NC | 2.35 |
| 3 | Vancouver, WA | 1.97 |
| 4 | Greenville, SC | 1.85 |
| 5 | Clearwater, FL | 1.80 |
| 6 | Durham, NC | 1.78 |
| 7 | Chattanooga, TN | 1.70 |
| 8 | Fort Myers, FL | 1.65 |
| 9 | Fort Collins, CO | 1.61 |
| 10 | Sarasota, FL | 1.59 |
Myrtle Beach, SC, is #1 for drawing in way more moves in than out so far in 2025.
Movers continue to flock to smaller cities where their daily lives are even more human-sized.
It’s a trend that we’ve seen from recent years, a steady interest in mid-sized cities and smaller metropolitan areas that offer a balance of economic opportunities and quality of life.
Nearly half of this year’s top inbound cities are well-known retirement hubs, places like Myrtle Beach, Clearwater, Fort Myers, and Sarasota that pair sunshine with affordability and accessible living. And retirees are one of the few demographics still moving.
Other top 10 cities like Chattanooga, Vancouver, Durham, Greenville, and Fort Collins, reflect the continued appeal of mid-sized metros with strong economies and outdoor access.
College and research hubs like #6 Durham and #8 Fort Collins, and mid-sized metros like #4 Greenville and #7 Chattanooga. Together, they show movers trading big-city hustle for smaller markets that deliver lifestyle, affordability, and access.
This year’s pattern is clear: smaller cities are gaining momentum while the rest tread water. Whether that means an early retirement on the coast or a balanced pace in a growing regional hub.
Many cities that were hot in previous years are now simply holding steady—but not growing in popularity. In a slower housing market, maintaining migration interest is akin to falling behind.
Exit cities of 2025
| Rank | City, State | In-To-Out Move Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, NY | 0.45 |
| 2 | Albany, NY | 0.46 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | 0.51 |
| 4 | Virginia Beach, VA | 0.53 |
| 5 | Wichita, KS | 0.55 |
| 6 | Overland Park, KS | 0.57 |
| 7 | Oklahoma City, OK | 0.58 |
| 8 | Memphis, TN | 0.59 |
| 9 | Los Angeles, CA | 0.60 |
| 9 | Dayton, OH | 0.63 |
Compared to 2024, when half the top ten were in California, 2025’s outflow has shifted inland: Northeast metros are shrinking, and Midwestern markets are stagnating despite low-ish housing costs.
At the top of the outbound list sits Rochester, NY (0.45 move in-to-out ratio), followed closely by Albany, NY (0.46).
In the Midwest and Plains, cities like Wichita, Overland Park, and Dayton struggle to retain residents despite low costs, signaling that affordability alone no longer guarantees an inflow.
California’s affordability crunch continues, with Sacramento and Los Angeles among the top ten exit markets.
Even Virginia Beach and Oklahoma City, once magnets for their livability, are seeing outbound momentum as movers chase better housing value and job flexibility elsewhere.
In short, while the most popular destinations are mid-sized, affordable, and lifestyle-rich, the cities losing people tend to offer the opposite mix: high costs, limited growth, or fading opportunity.
The throughline remains affordability, but the nuance has changed. In 2024, people fled because it was too far too expensive to stay. In 2025, they’re leaving to seek opportunities elsewhere.
2025’s Trending Moving Destinations: Americans Choose
The migration map of 2025 looks familiar—South Carolina still reigns, the South and Sunbelt still dominate—but small tremors are changing the landscape.
The states they choose have remained the same: they’re clustered in the Southeast, where affordability and access to nature complement job growth. South Carolina continues to hold the top move-to spot of any state, accompanied by surging demand in neighboring Tennessee and North Carolina. But it’s North Carolina that wins when it comes to pure volume.
At the same time, Wisconsin and Minnesota are quietly surging, showing that cost and climate balance can outpull flashier states. New York’s exodus eastward signals that the high-cost Northeast is now mirroring California’s long-running departure trend. Not only because they’re costly, but because they no longer feel like places of opportunity.
The pattern is unmistakable: Americans are trading square footage for quality of life, megacities for mid-markets, and high costs for breathing room.
In a cooling housing market, migration slows—but doesn’t stop. These insights about moves in 2025 don’t just mark where people are going; they also reveal where they are coming from. They reveal where they want to go and what’s still worth moving for.
Methodology & Sources
We use moveBuddha proprietary data collected from 2020 through October 1, 2025, to analyze move trends. The data comes directly from the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator.
In-to-out ratio: We rely primarily on the in-to-out ratio equation in our analysis to see which cities are earning more residents by searches for moves in than losing them via searches for moves out: [Number of queries for moves in] ÷ [Number of queries for moves out] = [in-to-out ratio].
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