where are americans moving to
Americans in 2025–2026 are largely moving from high-cost coastal and Northeastern states to more affordable, lower-tax states in the South, Southwest, and a few interior “value” regions.
Quick Scoop: Where Are Americans Moving To?
- Toward warmer, cheaper, less crowded places.
- Away from very high-cost, high-tax states like California and New Jersey.
- Into mid-sized metros rather than mega-cities, especially in the South and Southwest.
- Motivated by cost of living, housing prices, taxes, remote work, and quality of life.
Top States Americans Are Moving To
These states keep showing up in 2025 data and 2026 forecasts as major inbound destinations.
- South Carolina – Popular for Myrtle Beach and Greenville; warm weather, relatively low housing costs, and lighter property taxes pull in retirees and remote workers.
- North Carolina – Passed 11 million residents; big inflows into Raleigh and Charlotte for jobs, tech growth, and more affordable homes than many coastal metros.
- Tennessee – No state income tax, strong inbound one-way moves (Knoxville, Chattanooga), outdoor lifestyle, and relatively low costs.
- Georgia – Atlanta keeps ranking as a top move-in city thanks to jobs, growing tech, and comparatively reasonable housing.
- Arkansas – Cheaper housing, business-friendly climate, and growing hubs like Bentonville and Fayetteville.
States Losing People
- California – Continues to see net outbound moves driven by high home prices, taxes, and congestion.
- New Jersey – Has one of the highest shares of outbound moves nationally, with many leaving for lifestyle, cost, and job reasons.
Hot Cities and Regions Right Now
Forecasts and moving-company data show a clear shift toward mid-sized, “livable” cities instead of huge metros.
| City | State | Why It’s Hot |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | Tennessee | Predicted top inbound move ratio in 2026; affordable, scenic, anchored by a university. |
| Tulsa | Oklahoma | Strong forecasted in-to-out ratio, rising interest since 2019, lower housing costs. |
| Savannah | Georgia | Historic coastal city with relatively affordable living and strong move-in forecast. |
| Frisco | Texas | Fast-growing Dallas suburb with family appeal and jobs. |
| Minneapolis / Saint Paul | Minnesota | Surprising northern gainers with big percentage growth in inbound interest. |
Why Americans Are Moving This Way
Most movers are not just “chasing sunshine” anymore; they’re trying to make their money and lifestyle line up better.
Key drivers:
- Cost of living and housing
- People are leaving places where housing has outpaced wages and heading to cities where they can realistically buy a home.
- Jobs and economic opportunity
- Growing job markets in tech, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing (e.g., Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, parts of Arkansas and Tennessee) are big magnets.
- Remote and hybrid work
- Remote workers continue to relocate from expensive metros to mid-sized, high-amenity cities with lower costs and more space.
- Lifestyle and climate
- Warmer climates and access to outdoor recreation add an extra push toward the South and Mountain-adjacent states.
- Taxes and regulation
- States with no or lower income taxes and more business-friendly reputations (Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Arkansas) are recurring destinations.
Beyond the U.S.: Americans Looking Abroad
There’s also a growing slice of Americans who are at least thinking about moving out of the country altogether.
- Roughly one in ten Americans has actively researched a move abroad, and a much larger share has considered it.
- Top target countries include places ranked high for cost of living, safety, and health care; one recent survey found England as a leading choice, alongside Japan, Ireland, and Switzerland.
This part of the trend is still smaller than domestic migration, but it reflects similar motivations: affordability, stability, and access to reliable health systems.
Forum-Style Take: What People Say Online
If you scroll through moving and expat forums, you see a few recurring threads (paraphrased from typical discussions, not direct quotes):
“Sold the house in California, bought twice the space in Tennessee and still lowered my mortgage.”
“We left New Jersey for North Carolina—same kind of job, but way less in taxes and daycare.”
“Looking at Portugal or England because health care feels more predictable than staying here.”
These stories match the data: people are hunting for a better balance of money, space, and long-term security, whether that means Knoxville over Los Angeles or England over New York.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
