Mobility Rates Update – Pictured: Homes for Sale — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Andy Dean Photography
Mobility is gradually declining: Almost one in three Americans relocated annually in the 1900s. It was then one in five by the 1960s. Just over one out of nine persons moved in 2024.
A historic low: As Americans migrate less and less, barely 11% of the country’s total population moved last year.
Only 19.3% of those who did relocate moved states in 2024, compared to 20.1% of those who did.
The notion that individuals ought to have the autonomy to select their communities instead of being bound by their birthplace is a characteristically American perspective. This indicates that throughout a large portion of its history, the United States had unparalleled geographic mobility, with both interstate and intrastate relocations demonstrating people’s aspirations to succeed. In reality, almost one-third of Americans relocated annually during the 19th century, frequently in search of better employment, educational, and housing possibilities.
However, mobility began to wane over the past half-century. Americans don’t relocate as much as they used to: 11% of persons (37,045,761 residents) moved within the last year, according to Point2Homes’ analysis of the most recent U.S. Census residential mobility statistics. That represents a significant decline from the 20% who were moving homes annually in the 1960s and a drop from 14.3% ten years ago.
Although Florida’s mobility rate is marginally greater than the national average, it nevertheless reflects the slowdown in the nation as a whole. Fewer residents are moving away and starting over because of growing housing costs, waning job security, an increase in remote employment, and the fact that many people feel comfortable in their current location.
Important Conclusions for Florida:
In 2024, 12% of the population relocated. This translates to more than 2.7 million address changes, which is the third-highest net number after California and Texas.
About 573,800 persons, or 20.6% of the total number of people who moved, were from out of state. The most movers from other states were drawn to Florida.
Out-of-state movers make up 17% of Jacksonville’s population, compared to 19.4% and 16.7% in Miami and Tampa, respectively.
Most of the people moving to these cities, whether from Florida or other states, are renters.
What Impact Does Falling Mobility Have on the American Economy?
Taking risks and being diverse are good for the economy. Therefore, decreased mobility denotes the reverse, i.e., inaction and stasis. By restricting labor market flexibility, decreasing wage growth, and even lowering creativity as workers are less inclined to relocate in search of better opportunities, declining mobility also has an impact on economic resilience.
Yoni Appelbaum, the Deputy Executive Editor of The Atlantic and author of “Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity,” is one of the most vocal critics of Americans’ diminished mobility. According to him, Americans have traditionally aimed to advance by moving on, and the decrease in intrastate and interstate movement is contributing to stagnation in a number of ways:
Why Do Americans Move Less Now?
A number of variables, including growing housing costs, job-related and economic uncertainties, and the rise in remote work flexibility, which decreased job-related relocations, have contributed to the historic reduction in American mobility rates. As a result, in 2024, the national mobility rate fell to 11%, the lowest since the Census Bureau started keeping track of this data in 1948.
The continual decline in residential mobility rates is caused by a number of variables, including the improvement in quality of life, which eliminates the urgent need for individuals to relocate in search of or construct a better living.
The majority of Americans are now homeowners, compared to the early 20th century when rates were approximately 45%: The national homeownership rate leveled off at about 65% following the 2008 housing market crash and the foreclosures that followed. Additionally, it is evident that rising homeownership among Americans has impacted mobility rates because it is a more secure and long-term housing option.
The present state of economic turmoil may be another factor. In addition to the employment market’s increased volatility, property prices and borrowing rates are also rising. This indicates that more people are hesitant to give up their homes in an effort to acquire new ones, particularly if they were able to obtain cheaper mortgage rates during the pandemic.
Furthermore, the rise in remote work since the pandemic—which is still significantly higher than it was during the lockdowns—means that many workers can work from any location without having to relocate frequently in order to be near a new job or to cut down on commute time.
Which States Are Changing and Which Are Remaining the Same?
States like New Jersey and New York are the most pronounced examples of the growing trend toward staying put. Alaska and Oklahoma, on the other hand, continue to have more active populations and higher rates of home mobility than the national average.
In 2024, the two states with the lowest rates of movement are New Jersey and New York. The fact that less than 10% of the population moved here last year could mean one of two things: either people in New York and New Jersey are content with their homes and communities and aren’t looking for a change, or they feel stuck and don’t really see other (better) options out there, whether it’s in a different state or on a different street.
Alaskans, on the other hand, are the most mobile of all: in 2024, around 103,000 individuals, or 14% of the existing population, moved residences. On each day of the previous year, 281 persons received a new address in Alaska, regardless of whether they were merely relocating from one city or neighborhood to another or from another state.
In a similar vein, the four states with the highest rates of population migration are Oklahoma, Colorado, North Dakota, Idaho, and Nevada. The percentage of people who moved in these states in 2024 was about 13%.
States That Draw the Most (And Least) Newcomers: Where Americans Are Relocating
The majority of people who do relocate are making significant adjustments. Nearly one in five movers nationwide moved across state lines, and over 71% moved to a new city, indicating that Americans are frequently uprooting their entire lives rather than merely changing areas.
Naturally, some of the most populous states continued to draw significant numbers of newcomers: California had slightly over 400,000 new people, followed by Texas and Florida, each with over half a million new residents.
However, smaller states stand out when examining the shares of out-of-state movers. Some states are starting to attract out-of-state residents since movement is still fueled by factors including economic growth, warmer regional temperatures, and affordable housing. Because of this, a disproportionately high percentage of new residents are moving from outside of Wyoming and New Hampshire: 36.1% and 35.4%, respectively, of all new residents who came here last year were from other states.
Significant Developments: States with the Highest and Lowest Number of New Residents in 2024
The Equality State makes an effort to create one of the most business-friendly settings in the country, as seen by its low sales and property taxes and the absence of personal or corporate state income taxes. When you combine it with a comparatively cheap cost of living and more reasonably priced homes, it’s clear why Wyoming is so appealing.
New Hampshire appears to be no exception. In addition to having a comparatively low tax burden, New Hampshire provides a high standard of living because of its excellent educational system, low crime rate, and robust economy, which creates many job possibilities. Another significant advantage is its closeness to Boston. Because of the high-paying jobs, better quality of life, and availability of outdoor activities, no fewer than 48,666 people from other states relocated to New Hampshire.
In the meantime, there is far less incoming interest in areas like Texas and California. In 2024, there were around 4 million address changes in each state, yet just 10.9% of Californians and 14% of Texans were out-of-state movers.
Similarly, New York, Illinois, and Ohio had relatively high net numbers of residents who relocated, making them some of the most migratory states in the US. Once more, however, just a small percentage of movers from other states arrived—less than 20% in each of the three instances.
What Mobility Patterns Are Shown by the Data at the City Level?
At the city level, movers are guided by the same needs, wants, and desires. While certain cities (especially in California, but also in Texas) are having difficulty attracting newcomers, cities like Las Vegas and Mesa, AZ, are attracting a lot of out-of-state movers. Whether motivated by housing options, lifestyle, or employment, the data clearly shows how Americans are changing the urban landscape.
In terms of net numbers, New York City dominates the list of the biggest cities in the United States: 143,496 of the 702,239 individuals who moved to the Big Apple did so by relocating from another state. That only accounts for 20.4% of all movers, though. With 33.1% of all movers coming from other states as well as other cities—26,485 out of 80,024 movers in the city last year arrived from a different state—Las Vegas is by far the most alluring big city.
Cape Coral, Florida, and Chesapeake, Virginia, have the most percentages of out-of-state movers among the medium-sized U.S. cities, at 41.4% and 40.5%, respectively. However, the record for the least percentage of out-of-state movers is held by another Florida city: Hialeah, where just 0.1% of all movers traveled beyond state lines.
At least five small American communities are considering more than half of all newcomers from neighboring states to join their current population: The following cities have the highest percentage of out-of-state movers: Union City, NJ (63.6%), The Villages, FL (61.7%), Horizon West, FL (60.5%), Nashua, NH (58.5%), and Madison, AL (50%).
Do Renters or Homeowners Have a Higher Chance of Relocating Today?
Only 39% of those moving each year are homeowners, and 61% of all movers are renters, indicating that renters are still far more mobile than homeowners. Both groups are, nevertheless, relocating less frequently than they have in the past.
Furthermore, when it comes to both interstate and cross-state movements, renters are the more eager movers: 61.5% of all those who relocated within the same state were renters, while 58.6% of those who moved to a different state were renters.
There are numerous reasons why renting is the preferable choice, especially for new graduates, students, and young professionals, and why renters tend to move more frequently. Due to a combination of lifestyle choices, financial flexibility, and outside housing conditions, renters typically enjoy greater mobility than homeowners.
Additionally, renting gives you more flexibility to move at the conclusion of your lease or even sooner, which makes it a desirable choice for anyone looking for a new environment, a job, or an education.
Homeownership, on the other hand, denotes a more secure and long-term living arrangement. As a result, homeowners become more ingrained in their communities and are less inclined to move unless driven by significant life events, as these financial and practical responsibilities deter frequent movements.
Owners do, of course, move about as frequently as renters in a few states: When it comes to intrastate moves, owners in West Virginia, Maine, and New Hampshire move nearly as frequently as renters, with both having moved at least once in the past 12 months.
It is clear from examining interstate movers that Vermont is unique in that it draws both owners and renters equally: Renters and owners made up an equal portion of the population that relocated to this state in 2024. In South Carolina, Michigan, New Mexico, and West Virginia, the proportions of new homeowners and renters are almost equal.
On a state-by-state basis, San Jose, California (90.8% of all out-of-state renters) is the most attractive large city (i.e., the city that drew the greatest number of out-of-state renters), followed by Austin, Texas (88.9%) and Boston (87.2%).
The exception is Fort Worth, Texas, where 53.3% of all movers from other states are or have been homeowners in their new city of residence, making owners the dominant force.
When we focus on medium-sized cities, we find that, of all the movers who moved to these areas from other states, the largest percentages of renters have been drawn to Hialeah, Florida, and San Bernardino, California. Indeed, all of the movers from other states who moved into these areas in 2024 were renters.
However, the cities that have drawn the largest percentages of owners include Cape Coral, Florida; Chesapeake, Virginia; Port St. Lucie, Florida; Santa Clarita, California; North Las Vegas, Nevada; and Virginia Beach, Virginia: Up to 80% of all movers from other states are homeowners, and over 50% of them are.
Last but not least, a remarkable proportion of tiny communities drew just renters, and the same is true for homeowners. While all movers in 12 small cities purchased a property and became homeowners, all movers in 26 small cities were renters when they joined the community in 2024.
Once more, it probably comes down to the housing assistance programs and possibilities that a city, regardless of its size, provides to both immigrants and current residents. The desire to grow and succeed will always be reflected in Americans’ residential mobility rates, regardless of whether they relocate to find better housing (looking for a better home or neighborhood), to reunite with loved ones or start a new household, or to pursue better employment opportunities and more professional opportunities.
Additionally, the fact that they are still relocating, if less frequently than in the past, may indicate that many people are content with their lives as they are or that they do not think that moving would be the answer.
For methodology, charts and graphs, click here.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
