The Hottest US Moving Trends of 2024: Where Most Americans Are Going

In 2024, COVID restrictions have been loosened and remote work has become commonplace, 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 the LBM Journal.

These factors not only affect the number of people who move, but also where they move. And the subject is more complex than it might seem. Let’s look at some context.

More moving articles from Yahoo Local

How many Americans are moving?

Internal migration — or people moving within the country — has been declining over 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 widens, fewer people move. The increase in the cost of housing has «impeded internal mobility», says the study.

In 2022, the US Census Bureau estimates, 12.6% of Americans moved into a new home, a slight decrease from 2021, when 12.8% of Americans moved. This number includes all movements, whether local or interstate. The number of people who made interstate moves in 2022, however, rose to 8.2 million people from 7.9 million a year earlier.

The COVID pandemic slowed migration in 2020 and 2021 and saw many people leave urban centers. In 2022, the US saw an increase in movement 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 released data.

How do Americans choose where to move?

With more flexibility in where they live, how do Americans decide where to call home? Since 2020, several themes have emerged.

Americans are increasingly moving away from big cities in favor of smaller ones, with factors such as financial stress, job losses and new telecommuting opportunities influencing their decisions, The Policy Circle says. Wellness, community and work-life balance are also high priorities for many Americans on the go, according to a 2023 study by United Van Lines.

While each decision to move is unique and involves a variety of factors, a common narrative has emerged: Americans are rethinking what’s important about 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 driven more people to southern states in recent years.

We looked at the latest Census Bureau data to determine which large metro areas with populations of 250,000 or more saw the largest increase in net migration from 2020 to 2023. To rank each metro area, we looked at internal migration or the number of people who moved to the city from elsewhere in the county, either from the same state or from another.

Where most Americans are moving

1. Myrtle Beach, SC

The Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC metro area saw a 14.39% increase in population from in-migration between 2020 and 2023, making it the top moving destination in the country, according to Census Bureau numbers .

While the beach city remained relatively small, its metro area grew from 354,000 residents in 2020 to 397,000 in 2023. South Carolina overall ranked second behind Oklahoma on HireAHelper’s list of net movers for 2023, based on over 75,000 moves.

2. Lakeland, Fla.

With a 12.14% increase in population due to in-migration, Lakeland was one of Florida’s fastest growing cities in the early 2020s.

The Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area still isn’t as large as Tampa or Orlando, the two closest big cities, but it grew from a population of about 730,000 people to 818,000 in just three years, according to the Census Bureau.

3. Wilmington, NC

Inward migration in Wilmington, NC, saw the metro area’s population grow by 11.19% in three years. Like Myrtle Beach, it is a seaside town with many beaches and a strong nautical culture. Similar to other southeastern coastal cities, Wilmington saw significant 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 an 11.16% increase in in-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 significant relative population growth.

5. Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Port St. Lucie is Florida’s seventh largest city and continues to grow with a 10.84% increase in population from in-migration between 2020 and 2023. Its proximity to West Palm Beach gives residents access to some of the most country’s goods without higher cost. living.

Continuing the pattern of inland migration to the beach, Port St. The Lucie metro area started 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 internal migration continues the pattern of southeastern cities seeing new residents from other countries. Sarasota’s waterfront location is undoubtedly a major factor in the decisions of these new residents.

In 2020, the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota metro area had a population of 838,000, growing to 910,000 in 2023.

7. Daytona Beach, Fla.

Daytona’s beach culture, strong automotive history, and Florida’s typical Atlantic Coast weather helped drive its population growth of 9.70% from migration as of 2020.

Neighboring Orlando still dwarfs Daytona Beach’s population, but the movement of Americans to smaller cities means there’s a strong draw to places like this. The metro area’s 2020 population of 672,000 grew to 722,000 by mid-2023.

8. Fort Myers, Fla.

While Fort Myers has a reputation as a tourist destination, its population grew by 9.28% due to internal migration between 2020 and 2023, proving that Americans find it a desirable place to live. LIvINgalso.

Fort Myers is relatively small, but Cape Coral, which shares the metro area, is the ninth largest city in the state and holds most of the metro’s population, which grew from 766,000 in 2020 to 835,000 in 2023 .

9. Spartanburg, SC

Spartanburg may not be as popular as other cities in South Carolina, but Americans are still moving there — its population growth from internal migration reached 7.87% between 2020 and 2023.

It may be the smallest city on this list, but Spartanburg’s 7.5% metro area growth from 357,000 in 2020 to 383,000 in 2023 is pretty impressive for a southeastern city of less than half a million people.

10. Palm Bay, Fla.

The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla. metro area’s in-migration population growth of 7.68% puts it at the bottom of our top 10 list and continues the pattern of Florida’s Atlantic coast being a major draw for the movers.

The area’s 2020 population of 609,000 grew to 644,000 in 2023, and Palm Bay ranks as Florida’s sixteenth largest city.

Cities in Florida and South Carolina attracted the most new residents

Florida dominates the list of cities where Americans have moved since 2020. Carolina residents appear slightly in the top 10, but The Sunshine State remains the top preference of Americans when changing states of residence.

Other notable states include Idaho, which saw a total population increase of 6.24% between 2020 and 2023; Texas (4.34%); Montana (4.19%), Utah (4.07%) and Delaware (4.04%), according to US Census Bureau state population estimates for 2023.

Where are all these Americans moving from? Census Bureau data shows that New York experienced a 2.65% decline in its population between 2020 and 2023, followed by Illinois (-1.88%), Louisiana (-1.68%), California (-1.36%) and Virginia Western (-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.