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

See how September compared to August 2026 moving trends, when South Carolina posted a 1.76 ratio and Alabama ranked #4 among destination states.

(Updated: October 2026)

Top 10 most popular states to move to in September 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. September’s top three are separated by only six hundredths of a point.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more people moving in. Below 1.0 = more people moving out. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, September 2026.

Idaho climbs from #3 to #1, but on a smaller sample

According to moveBuddha’s proprietary September 2026 data, Idaho has the highest in-to-out ratio in the country at 1.81, up from 1.57 and #3 in August. California is the top origin for Idaho-bound searches at 18%, followed by Washington at 11%. Boise also has more people searching to move in than leave, with a 1.40 city-level ratio.

Idaho’s #1 ranking comes with an important caveat. The state logged enough searches to clear moveBuddha’s 100-search threshold but far fewer than North Carolina or Florida. With fewer searches, even a relatively small change from month to month can have a bigger effect on Idaho’s ranking.

Montana shows the other side of that threshold. After ranking #5 in August, Montana posts a 1.61 ratio in moveBuddha’s September data, but its combined searches fall short of the 100-search minimum. That keeps Montana out of this month’s state rankings despite having more inbound than outbound searches.

North Carolina holds #2 for a second straight month

According to moveBuddha’s September 2026 moving cost calculator data, North Carolina holds the #2 destination spot with a 1.77 in-to-out ratio, up slightly from 1.74 in August. Its share of net inbound demand also rises from 17.1% to 19.0%, giving North Carolina the second-largest share in the country behind Florida.

The city results are a little less widespread than they were in August. Charlotte improves from a 1.61 ratio to 1.72, while Greensboro posts 1.40. Raleigh cools from 1.67 to 1.03, and Durham comes in at 1.23. Four North Carolina cities meet moveBuddha’s minimum search threshold with more inbound than outbound searches, down from six in August but still second only to Florida.

moveBuddha’s September data also shows North Carolina drawing interest as a moving destination from across the country. New York is the top origin for North Carolina-bound searches at 10%, followed by California at 9%, Florida at 8%, and Texas at 8%. That broad mix helps explain why the state has been able to hold near the top of the rankings even as individual city results shift from month to month.

Florida climbs back to #4 and extends its lead in overall demand

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows Florida rebounding to a 1.51 in-to-out ratio, up from August’s 2026 low of 1.45 and enough to move the state from #6 to #4. The bigger story, though, is scale: Florida attracts more net inbound searches than any other state in the country.

Florida accounts for 33.4% of all net inbound move searches among qualifying states in September, up from 26.7% in August. North Carolina ranks second at 19.0%, followed by Oregon at 9.7% and Washington at 8.3%. Together, those four states account for 70.4% of net inbound demand.

That means Florida’s rank by ratio still understates how much mover interest the state is attracting. September calculator searches show Florida pulling a far larger share of net inbound demand than any other state, even though three states post slightly higher in-to-out ratios.

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, September 2026.

Oregon jumps to #3 as Washington enters the top 10

September searches submitted through moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator show Oregon climbing from #10 to #3, with its in-to-out ratio rising from 1.25 in August to 1.75. Portland posts a 1.63 ratio, up from 1.33 last month, while Eugene comes in even higher at 1.86.

Washington also enters the destination top 10 at #7 with a 1.31 ratio. Seattle posts a 1.44 ratio on its combined searches, and Washington accounts for 8.3% of September’s net inbound demand, the fourth-largest share in the country.

moveBuddha’s September data shows California as the top origin for searches into both states, accounting for 21% of Oregon-bound searches and 16% of Washington-bound searches. That suggests some California movers may be looking north as well as toward the Sun Belt. Oregon’s lack of a sales tax and Washington’s lack of a state income tax on wages may also be part of the appeal.

Oregon is especially notable because August marked its first top-10 appearance of 2026. One month later, it has climbed to #3 and now accounts for 9.7% of net inbound demand, giving the state a second consecutive month of strong inbound interest.

South Carolina falls from #1 to #5 after two months on top

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows South Carolina slipping from #1 to #5, with its in-to-out ratio falling from 1.76 in August to 1.51. Its share of net inbound demand also drops from 9.5% to 6.6%.

The change is partly tied to Myrtle Beach. After ranking as the country’s #1 qualifying city in August with an 8.33 ratio, Myrtle Beach fell short of moveBuddha’s 20-search city threshold. Its 1.71 ratio still shows more people searching to move in than leave, but the city does not appear in this month’s rankings.

Elsewhere in the state, Columbia posts a 2.14 ratio and Charleston comes in at 1.57. So while South Carolina no longer leads the country, September calculator searches still show more people looking to move into the state than out of it.

Tennessee and Texas fall out of the top 10 as Maine, Louisiana, and Indiana move in

moveBuddha’s September search data shows Tennessee and Texas both losing ground. Tennessee falls from #7 in August to just outside the top 10 as its in-to-out ratio drops from 1.39 to 1.18. Texas falls from 1.29 to 1.05, while its share of net inbound demand drops sharply from 17.9% in August to 4.0% in September.

Texas still attracts substantial inbound interest because of its size. Even with an in-to-out ratio close to even, the state ranks sixth by share of net inbound demand in moveBuddha’s September data.

Maine enters the top 10 at #6 with a 1.39 ratio, led by Portland, Maine, which posts a 5.00 city-level ratio. Maine sits only slightly above moveBuddha’s minimum state search threshold, so its September ranking is worth watching rather than treating as a settled trend.

Louisiana also enters the rankings at #9 with a 1.24 ratio, while Indiana takes the #10 spot at 1.21. Arkansas moves up one place to #8 at 1.30.

Top 10 least popular states to move to in September 2026

Connecticut leads the exit list again, while D.C. jumps from #10 to #2. Six of the bottom 10 states are in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, while Missouri, California, Michigan, and Alabama round out the list. Alabama is the biggest surprise after ranking #4 among destination states in August.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more people moving in. Below 1.0 = more people moving out. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, September 2026.

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic dominating the exit rankings again. Connecticut leads the list for a fifth straight month, while D.C. jumps from #10 to #2. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland round out the top five, with Missouri, California, Michigan, Alabama, and Pennsylvania filling the rest of the bottom 10.

Connecticut leads the exit list for a fifth straight month

According to moveBuddha’s proprietary September data, Connecticut has the lowest in-to-out ratio in the country at 0.51, down slightly from 0.52 in August and its lowest reading of 2026.

D.C. makes the biggest move near the top of the exit list, climbing from #10 in August to #2 at 0.53. New Jersey shifts from #2 to #3 as its ratio improves from 0.53 to 0.61, while Massachusetts moves to #4 at 0.68 and Maryland lands at #5 with a 0.69 ratio.

moveBuddha’s September calculator searches show Florida as the most common destination for people looking to leave Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland. After Florida, New Jersey movers most often search for moves to Texas, California, and North Carolina, while New York is the second-most-common destination for Connecticut movers. That suggests Connecticut’s outbound interest includes both regional moves and longer-distance relocations south.

Alabama flips from #4 destination state to #9 exit state

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows Alabama making one of the sharpest reversals of the month. After ranking #4 among destination states in August with a 1.52 in-to-out ratio, Alabama falls to #9 on the exit list at 0.78. The state had also ranked among the top five destinations in both June and July.

The swing is another reminder that monthly rankings can change quickly, especially when a state is closer to moveBuddha’s minimum search threshold. September’s results show more people searching to leave Alabama than move in, but another month of data will help show whether that shift lasts.

Kansas offers a similar example. It ranked #2 among destination states in July before falling to #8 on the exit list in August. In September, Kansas falls just below moveBuddha’s minimum state search threshold, so it does not appear in either ranking. Its 0.83 ratio still shows more outbound than inbound interest.

Missouri, Michigan, and Pennsylvania join the bottom 10

moveBuddha’s September data shows Missouri and Michigan entering the exit-state top 10, with Missouri ranking #6 at a 0.70 in-to-out ratio and Michigan ranking #8 at 0.73.

Kansas City, Missouri is one of the clearest city-level contributors to Missouri’s result, posting a 0.43 ratio. Ann Arbor, Michigan also leans strongly outbound at 0.33, while Detroit is much closer to even at 1.08. That mix suggests the statewide results are being shaped more heavily by certain cities than by a uniform pattern across either state.

Pennsylvania ranks #10 among exit states at 0.83, but moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows Pittsburgh moving in the opposite direction. Pittsburgh ranks among the month’s top inbound cities with a 1.82 ratio, making it a clear exception to Pennsylvania’s broader statewide pattern.

California moves from #4 to #7 but still has the largest net outflow

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows California’s in-to-out ratio improving from 0.66 in August to 0.73, moving the state from #4 to #7 on the exit list. Even with that improvement, California still has the largest net outflow of any state in the dataset.

That makes California another example of why the ratio does not tell the whole story. A state can move lower on the exit rankings while still accounting for a large share of outbound activity because of the overall volume of people searching to move.

Texas is the top destination for California movers in September, accounting for 16% of outbound searches. At the city level, Sacramento improves from a 0.33 ratio in August to 0.69 in September, matching San Diego and San Jose. Los Angeles posts a 0.81 ratio, while San Francisco is nearly even at 1.04.

Ohio, New York, and Nevada move out of the bottom 10

moveBuddha’s September search data shows Ohio, New York, and Nevada all improving enough to leave the bottom 10. Ohio’s in-to-out ratio rises from 0.76 in August to 0.86, while Nevada improves from 0.81 to 0.87.

New York sees the biggest shift of the three, moving from a 0.77 ratio in August to 1.01 in September. That puts the state almost exactly even, with roughly the same amount of inbound and outbound search interest in moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator data.

Columbus also stands out at the city level. After posting a 0.59 ratio in August, the Ohio capital rises to 1.50 in September, making it one of the sharper month-over-month city swings in moveBuddha’s data.

Top 10 most popular cities to move to in September 2026

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows Florida dominating the city rankings, with five cities in the top 10. Chandler, Arizona takes the #1 spot, while Maine, South Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania each place one city on the list. Several of August’s top cities, including Myrtle Beach, Fairfax, Johnson City, and Cary, fall below moveBuddha’s 20-search city threshold in September and do not appear in this month’s rankings.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more people moving in. Below 1.0 = more people moving out. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, September 2026.

Chandler leads all cities, but on a smaller sample

According to moveBuddha’s proprietary September data, Chandler, Arizona has the highest in-to-out ratio of any qualifying city at 6.00. The city only narrowly clears moveBuddha’s minimum search threshold, though, so September’s result is worth watching rather than treating as an established trend.

The rest of the Phoenix area is more mixed. Gilbert posts a 1.78 ratio just outside the top 10, while Phoenix comes in at 0.90 and Mesa at 0.62, meaning more people are searching to leave those cities than move in. Arizona’s statewide ratio is also 0.90, so September’s strongest inbound interest appears concentrated in a handful of suburban markets rather than across the state as a whole.

Sarasota and Ocala tie at 5.50 as Florida lands five cities in the top 10

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows Sarasota and Ocala tied near the top of the city rankings with 5.50 in-to-out ratios. Sarasota also strengthens from August, when it ranked #4 with a 3.29 ratio. Melbourne (#5, 4.75), Naples (#6, 3.00), and Port St. Lucie (#8, 2.00) give Florida five cities in September’s top 10.

What’s especially interesting is where that interest is showing up. moveBuddha’s September calculator searches show Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville all close to even, with ratios between 1.02 and 1.08. That suggests Florida’s strongest inbound interest this month is concentrated in mid-size coastal and Central Florida markets rather than the state’s largest metros.

Portland, Columbia, Eugene, and Pittsburgh stand out outside Florida

moveBuddha’s September search data shows several strong inbound cities outside Florida. Portland, Maine ranks #4 with a 5.00 in-to-out ratio and helps lift Maine to #6 among destination states. Columbia, South Carolina ranks #7 at 2.14, while Charleston also posts more inbound than outbound interest at 1.57.

Eugene, Oregon ranks #9 with a 1.86 ratio, adding another strong city-level result to Oregon’s jump to #3 statewide. Pittsburgh rounds out the top 10 at 1.82, even as Pennsylvania ranks #10 among September’s exit states.

That contrast is especially notable in Pittsburgh. According to moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator data, Pennsylvania overall has more people searching to leave than move in, while Pittsburgh is attracting substantially more inbound than outbound interest. It’s another example of how city-level moving patterns can look very different from the statewide trend.

Top 10 least popular cities to move to in September 2026

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows a largely new group of cities at the top of the exit rankings. Buffalo is the only city to carry over from August’s bottom 10, while several cities that ranked poorly last month either improve or fall below the minimum search threshold.

Ratios show inbound searches ÷ outbound searches. Above 1.0 = more people moving in. Below 1.0 = more people moving out. Based on moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator data, September 2026.

Madison, Wisconsin posts the most lopsided exit ratio

Madison, Wisconsin ranks #1 on the exit-city list at 0.24. The result is specific to the city. Wisconsin’s statewide ratio is exactly 1.00, with the same number of inbound and outbound searches.

Ann Arbor, Michigan ranks #2 at 0.33 and shows a similar pattern. Both are major college towns, which may partly explain it, since turnover among students and young professionals can raise outbound searches.

Midwest cities fill half the exit list

Five of the 10 exit cities are in the Midwest: Madison, Ann Arbor, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Minneapolis. Kansas City, Missouri and Cincinnati, Ohio tie at 0.43, and Kansas City’s outbound searches help drive Missouri’s #6 exit state ranking. Minneapolis at #7 (0.58) is the largest Midwest market on the list.

Washington, D.C. and Atlanta lead the high-volume exits

moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data shows Washington, D.C. ranking #5 among exit cities with a 0.53 in-to-out ratio. That closely mirrors D.C.’s statewide result, where it ranks #2 on the September exit list.

Atlanta also appears in the bottom 10 at #9 with a 0.61 ratio, while Georgia overall posts a 0.89 ratio. That suggests Atlanta is leaning more heavily outbound than the state as a whole.

Virginia Beach ranks #6 at 0.56, Buffalo comes in at #8 with a 0.60 ratio, and Mesa, Arizona rounds out the bottom 10 at 0.62. Buffalo is the only city to remain in the bottom 10 from August, while Mesa’s result contrasts sharply with nearby Chandler, which ranks #1 among September’s most popular cities.

Where people are moving within their own state

Most of the searches in moveBuddha’s September Moving Cost Calculator data involve interstate moves, but a meaningful share come from people planning moves within the same state. These local searches offer a different view of moving activity, highlighting where people are relocating without crossing state lines.

California ranks #1 for local move searches in September, followed by Texas and Florida. New York and Ohio round out the top five, with North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan also ranking among the states with the most within-state moving activity.

The local rankings look different from the interstate migration lists because they reflect the sheer amount of moving activity happening inside each state, not whether more people are looking to move in or out. States with large populations naturally tend to rank higher here, but the data still gives a useful picture of where movers are most active within state borders.

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

California holds the top local spot

California ranks #1 for local search volume again in September. The state also ranks #7 on the interstate exit list, but those two results can happen at the same time.

California is large enough to support heavy movement within the state even while more people are searching to leave than move in. Many residents are still relocating between metros, suburbs, and nearby cities without crossing state lines.

Ohio and North Carolina swap places

Ohio moves up to #5 for local move activity while North Carolina slips to #6, reversing their August order. Ohio’s 0.86 ratio sits outside the bottom 10 this month, but the state still posts more outbound than inbound searches.

North Carolina ranks #6 for local activity while also ranking #2 for inbound interstate interest. That combination points to a state that is both attracting new residents and seeing plenty of movement within its borders.

New Jersey and Michigan tie at #9 as Washington and Georgia fall out

New Jersey and Michigan tie at #9 for local move searches, and both also appear among September’s bottom 10 exit states. Washington and Georgia, which ranked #8 and #9 in August, both leave the top 10. Georgia lands just outside at #11.

What September 2026 moving trends tell us

September reverses several of August’s biggest stories. South Carolina gives up the top spot, Florida regains some ground, and Oregon turns August’s first top-10 appearance into a #3 finish. Some of the month’s biggest swings come from states closer to moveBuddha’s minimum search threshold, so a single month is worth reading with some caution.

Idaho, North Carolina, and Oregon lead a more western-leaning destination map. moveBuddha’s September data shows California as the top origin for searches into Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, suggesting some California movers are looking toward the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West in addition to traditional Sun Belt destinations. North Carolina, meanwhile, holds the #2 spot for a second straight month and continues to show broad inbound interest across several cities.

Florida is still the biggest destination by overall demand. Its in-to-out ratio rebounds to 1.51, while its share of net inbound searches climbs from 26.7% in August to 33.4% in September. Much of the strongest city-level interest is showing up in mid-size markets like Sarasota, Ocala, and Melbourne, while Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville are much closer to even.

Alabama is one of September’s clearest reminders not to read too much into a single month. After ranking #4 among destination states in August, it falls to #9 on the exit list in September. Texas shows another sharp shift, with its share of net inbound demand falling from 17.9% to 4.0% month over month.

The Northeast and D.C. region continue to stand out for outbound interest. Connecticut, D.C., New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland hold the top five exit spots in moveBuddha’s September rankings, with Florida the most common destination for people searching to leave Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland. The Midwest adds a second exit story at the city level, with Madison, Ann Arbor, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Minneapolis all appearing in the bottom 10.

October’s data will help show which of September’s changes have staying power. Some of the biggest things to watch are whether Idaho and Oregon hold their positions, whether Montana and Kansas return to the rankings, and whether Florida’s rebound continues.

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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.