Hottest U.S. moving trends of 2024: Where the most Americans are headed
Americans are freer to move than they have been in years. Here are some of the fastest growing places in the U.S.
In 2024, COVID restrictions have loosened and remote work has gone mainstream, giving many Americans more freedom in where they choose to live. On the other hand, housing prices have continued to significantly outpace Americans' incomes, according to LBM Journal.
These factors not only influence how many people move but also where they move. And the topic is more complex than it might seem. Let's take a look at a bit of context.
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How many Americans are moving?
Internal migration – or people moving within the country – has been declining for the past several decades, according to a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. As the country ages and the gap between earnings and housing prices increases, fewer people move. The rising cost of housing has "impeded internal mobility," the study says.
In 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 12.6% of Americans moved to a new home, a slight decrease from 2021, when 12.8% of Americans moved. This number includes all moves, whether local or interstate. The number of people who made interstate moves in 2022, however, went up to 8.2 million people from 7.9 million the year before.
The COVID pandemic slowed migration in 2020 and 2021 and saw many people move out of urban centers. In 2022, the U.S. saw an uptick in moving and a return to some pre-pandemic trends, including many Americans moving to states in the South and West. The trends continued in 2023, the most recent year for which the Census Bureau issued data.
How do Americans choose where to move?
With more flexibility in where they live, how do Americans decide on where to call home? Since 2020, a few themes have emerged.
Americans are largely moving out of big cities and opting for smaller ones, with factors like financial stress, job loss, and new remote work opportunities influencing their decisions, says The Policy Circle. Wellness, community, and work-life balance are also high priorities for many Americans on the move, according to a 2023 study by United Van Lines.
While every decision to move is unique and includes a vast array of factors, a common narrative has emerged: Americans are rethinking what's important in where they live.
Looking at United Van Lines' interactive map, it's clear that the South and West have been popular destinations for the past decade but Americans' shifting priorities have led more people to Southern states in the past few years.
We looked at the most recent Census Bureau data to determine which large metro areas with populations of 250,000 or more have seen the largest net migration increases from 2020 to 2023. To rank each metro area, we looked at domestic migration, or the number of people who moved into the city from somewhere else in the county, whether from within the same state or another.
Where the most Americans are moving
1. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C., metro area saw a 14.39% increase in population from domestic migration between 2020 and 2023, making it the top moving destination in the country, according to Census Bureau numbers.
While the beach town remained relatively small, its metro area grew from 354,000 residents in 2020 to 397,000 in 2023. South Carolina overall placed second behind Oklahoma on HireAHelper's net moves list for 2023, based on over 75,000 moves.
2. Lakeland, Fla.
With a 12.14% increase in population due to domestic migration, Lakeland was one of Florida's fastest-growing cities in the early 2020s.
The Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area still isn't as big as Tampa or Orlando, the two nearest large cities, but it grew from a population of roughly 730,000 people to 818,000 in just three years, according to the Census Bureau.
3. Wilmington, N.C.
Domestic migration to Wilmington, N.C., saw the metro area's population grow by 11.19% in three years. Like Myrtle Beach, it's a coastal city with many beaches and a strong maritime culture. Similar to other Southeastern coastal cities, Wilmington saw notable growth in recent years, with a population of 425,000 in 2020 and 467,000 in 2023.
4. Ocala, Fla.
Another inland Floridian city, the Ocala metro area saw growth of 11.16% from domestic migration over the past few years.
While still relatively small by Floridian standards, Ocala's growth from 377,000 residents in 2020 to 410,000 by mid-2023 represents a notable relative increase in population.
5. Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Port St. Lucie is Florida's seventh largest city, and it continues to grow with a 10.84% increase in population from domestic migration between 2020 and 2023. Its proximity to West Palm Beach gives residents access to some of the country's best beaches without the higher cost of living.
Continuing the pattern of beachward domestic migration, the Port St. Lucie metro area began with a population of 490,000 in 2020 and reached 537,000 by mid-2023.
6. Sarasota, Fla.
Sarasota's 10.66% increase in population from domestic migration continues the pattern of Southeastern cities seeing new residents from elsewhere. Sarasota's location on the coast is undoubtedly a major factor in those new residents' decisions.
In 2020, the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota metro area had a population of 838,000, while 2023 saw it rise to 910,000.
7. Daytona Beach, Fla.
Daytona's beach culture, strong automotive history, and weather typical of Florida's Atlantic coast helped drive a 9.70% increase in population from migration since 2020.
Neighboring Orlando still dwarfs the population of Daytona Beach, but Americans' moves to smaller cities mean there's a strong draw to places like this. The metro area's 2020 population of 672,000 grew to 722,000 by the middle of 2023.
8. Fort Myers, Fla.
While Fort Myers has a reputation as a tourist destination, its population increased by 9.28% due to domestic migration between 2020 and 2023, which proves Americans find it a desirable place to live, too.
Fort Myers is relatively small, but Cape Coral, which shares the metro area, is the ninth largest city in the state and holds much of the metro population, which rose from 766,000 in 2020 to 835,000 in 2023.
9. Spartanburg, S.C.
Spartanburg may not be as well known as other cities in South Carolina, but Americans are still moving there – its population increase from domestic migration totaled 7.87% between 2020 and 2023.
It might be the smallest city on this list, but the Spartanburg metro area's 7.5% jump from 357,000 in 2020 to 383,000 in 2023 is quite notable for a Southeastern city of less than half a million people.
10. Palm Bay, Fla.
The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla., metro area's domestic migration population increase of 7.68% places it at the end of our top 10 list and continues the pattern of Florida's Atlantic coast being a huge draw to movers.
The area's 2020 population of 609,000 rose to 644,000 in 2023, and Palm Bay clocks in at Florida's sixteenth-largest city.
Florida and South Carolina cities drew the most new residents
Florida dominates the list of cities that Americans moved to since 2020. The Carolinas make a few appearances in the top 10, but The Sunshine State remains Americans' top preference when shifting states of residence.
Other states of note include Idaho, which saw a total population growth of 6.24% between 2020 and 2023; Texas (4.34%); Montana (4.19%), Utah (4.07%), and Delaware (4.04%), according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 state population estimates.
Where are all of these Americans moving from? Census Bureau data shows that New York experienced a 2.65% decrease in its population between 2020 and 2023, followed by Illinois (-1.88%), Louisiana (-1.68%), California (-1.36%), and West Virginia (-1.20%).
It’s impossible to know if similar trends will continue, but one thing is clear in 2024: Americans love Florida, and the Carolinas aren’t far behind.
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