According to our research, Americans are most likely to move to the South. In fact, five of the states with the highest influx of residents in 2021 are neighboring states in the Southeast. From Washington to New York and in between (Minnesota), the majority of states that saw a loss in population due to domestic moves are in the North.
When looking at the states that Americans moved away from, California, New York and New Mexico top the list. While four of the top 10 states Americans are moving away from — New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland — are in the Northeast, the other six are scattered across the rest of the country.
Though moving is a highly personal decision, most of these states are known for harsh winters, high costs of living or both. Whether it's the bitter cold or something else sending Americans away, we looked at the destinations they’re most likely to end up in.
We saw even stronger trends when it comes to the top 10 states Americans are flocking to. Eight out of 10 states are southern, with six in the Southeast and two more in the Southwest.
Florida dominates as the top state to move to, with an influx of nearly 655,000 residents and a surplus of over 205,000 after accounting for those that moved out. The recent COVID-19 pandemic allowed geographical freedom for many who are able to work from home, which may explain a portion of the 674,740 new Florida residents. High costs for homeowners in Florida could be a deciding factor for some of the 469,577 who moved out of the Sunshine State.
Whether you, too, are packing your bags for Florida, staying put or heading somewhere completely different, you probably want to know how much it’ll cost. More importantly, will you actually end up paying the price you’re quoted? We analyzed data from This Old House to find out.
Major Factors That Impact Moving Costs
The most important factors in determining the cost of your move are the amount of cargo in the moving truck and the distance traveled. Moving rates for a studio apartment are cheaper than for four or more bedrooms, while costs for a local move are less than the price of a long distance move or moving to a different state. In the chart below, we see that the overall cost per mile in 2022 was $41.59. However, that average cost could be just $31.42 for a studio apartment or $48.77 for a home with four or more bedrooms.
Additional factors may contribute to your final cost. For example, assembling or disassembling furniture, moving bulky or fragile items or necessitating packing services will increase your final bill.
Are Moving Quotes Accurate?
The best way to price out your next move is to gather quotes that reflect the costs of your unique situation. But can you trust the estimates from moving companies? For the most part, yes, but you should count on some variance when it comes time to pay the bill.
Because there are so many variable factors involved in moving logistics, from changes in gas prices to labor demand, it can be hard for moving companies to accurately project the cost of a move months in advance.
Our data showed that 34% of Americans who hired a professional mover in 2022 paid what they were quoted and 3% paid less than the initial estimate. However, 64% ended up with a higher bill in the end by an average of $2,282.
A new job, proximity to medical care, warmer weather or simply a fresh start are all conceivable reasons for a move. This makes it difficult to pin down motivations for moving in the U.S. However, here are several trends we expect to see in 2023 based on our research.
- Newfound mobility: With the rise in work-from-home employment, many Americans are no longer geographically locked in for work. When your spare bedroom doubles as your office, you can shift your focus to other aspects of where you call home, such as culture, food, safety and more.
- Cost of living: While families are spending $709 more per month than two years ago, inflation-adjusted earnings are stuck at late 2019 levels. Because of this economic pressure, many may seek new homes with lower costs of living to accommodate tighter budgets.
- Access to family: According to a 2022 North American Moving Services survey, 68% of Americans live in or near the city where they grew up. It seems that being near family is an important factor for staying in or moving back to one’s hometown.
The MarketWatch Guides team analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates survey to determine state-to-state migration trends. Specifically, we looked at the following metrics:
- Moved in: This is the number of people moving into a state from another state.
- Moved out: This is the number of people who moved out of a state to another state.
- Net Migration: This is the difference of the previous metrics, showing how many residents a state gained or lost overall.
We also researched moving costs using data from This Old House.
