2022 Study: Are Americans Giving Up on Moving for Love?
Posted in: I'm Moving, Moving StoriesWhen the late, great Meatloaf sang about doing anything for love — except that — maybe he was referring to moving.
About one in four adults have moved for love at some point in their lives, according to a 2019 HireAHelper survey. But it appears that far fewer people are doing so today. In 2020, approximately 1,527,685 people moved for romantic reasons. By 2021, that number dropped to 1,067,234, representing a 30% drop.
It may be that pandemic-era flings are losing their luster, or most everyone interested in shacking up already has. But which generation is most likely to relocate for love? And where are they going?
Here’s a closer look at the current state of moving for love.
Who’s Relocating for Love?
In 2020, the top overall reason for moving was because of a new job or transfer, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s not too surprising, considering more than a third of U.S. workers changed employers or lost their jobs since the start of the pandemic — which is double the normal amount over the past two decades.
But where did romance rank?
“Relationship with unmarried partner” ranked pretty far down the list, at 6% of moves.
In 2021, the top reason for moving was “to establish own household,” followed by “other family reason.” Ending a long-distance relationship was once again a much lower priority, this time representing fewer than 5% of all total moves.
| Top Reasons for Moving 2021 vs. 2020 | ||||
| 2021 | 2022 | |||
| Reason | # of Moves | % of Moves | # of Moves | % of Moves |
| To establish own household | 2,878,137 | 12.8% | 3,170,762 | 12.5% |
| Other family reason | 2,481,267 | 11.1% | 2,596,415 | 10.2% |
| For cheaper housing | 2,408,044 | 10.8% | 1,977,655 | 7.8% |
| New job or job transfer | 2,386,871 | 10.7% | 3,399,284 | 13.4% |
| Wanted to own home, not rent | 2,020,061 | 9.0% | 2,328,100 | 9.2% |
| Wanted better neighborhood | 1,616,836 | 7.2% | 1,232,599 | 4.8% |
| Other housing reason | 1,541,679 | 6.9% | 1,888,797 | 7.4% |
| Change in marital status | 1,287,273 | 5.7% | 1,826,587 | 7.2% |
| For easier commute | 1,170,450 | 5.2% | 1,464,583 | 5.8% |
| Other reasons | 1,156,188 | 5.2% | 1,045,606 | 4.1% |
| Relationship with unmarried partner | 1,067,234 | 4.8% | 1,527,685 | 6.0% |
| Attend/leave college | 824,236 | 3.7% | 938,023 | 3.7% |
| Health reasons | 434,010 | 1.9% | 596,470 | 2.3% |
| To look for work or lost job | 405,254 | 1.8% | 520,348 | 2.0% |
| Retired | 226,812 | 1.0% | 397,874 | 1.6% |
| Change of climate | 202,123 | 0.9% | 115,352 | 0.5% |
| Foreclosure or eviction | 127,983 | 0.6% | 189,659 | 0.7% |
| Natural disaster | 86,752 | 0.4% | 111,014 | 0.4% |
| Other job-related reason | 77,548 | 0.3% | 114,439 | 0.4% |
Most moves that occurred because of a relationship with an unmarried partner were local. Sixty percent of those moves took place within the same county. Still, more than a quarter of people who moved for love relocated somewhere else in the state, while 13% moved out of state.
| How Far Are People Moving for Love? | |
| Relative move distance | Percent of moves for love |
| Moved within county | 60% |
| Moved within state, different county | 27% |
| Moved between states | 13% |
When it comes to men and women, moves were pretty evenly split between the two in 2020 and 2021. However, there is one generation that’s far more likely to move for love: millennials.
“Most moves that occurred because of a relationship with an unmarried partner were local.”
Considering that the oldest millennials turn 40 this year, they’re in the prime life stage for finding a forever partner and settling down. Boomers, on the other hand, are pretty unlikely to move for a romantic partner — only 4% of moves for love took place among Boomers last year.
| Who’s Moving for Love? | ||
| Group | 2021 | 2022 |
| Men | 50% | 48% |
| Women | 50% | 52% |
| Gen Z | 33% | 34% |
| Gen Y (Millennials) | 51% | 46% |
| Gen X | 12% | 13% |
| Baby Boomers | 4% | 8% |
Where Are People In Love Moving To?
When we look at where people who moved for love ended up, there are some big differences between states.
The top 10 states that received the newest residents who moved for romantic reasons include Texas, Florida and California.
This seems reasonable, considering they’re also the largest states in general. However, there were a few smaller states on the list — including North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee — which also saw a large influx of new residents during the pandemic as people fled high cost-of-living areas.
| State | Percent of People Moving Who Relocated There for Love |
| Texas | 14.0% |
| Ohio | 9.1% |
| Illinois | 6.8% |
| Florida | 6.5% |
| North Carolina | 6.4% |
| Virginia | 5.9% |
| Tennessee | 5.8% |
| California | 4.9% |
| Arizona | 4.6% |
| Utah | 4.3% |
Breaking it down by gender self-identification, the states of Illinois, Florida and North Carolina were the most popular destinations for men who moved for love. Women also favored Illinois, as well as Texas and California.
“In 2020, approximately 1,527,685 people moved for romantic reasons. By 2021, that number dropped to 1,067,234, representing a 30% drop.”
Below, you can see the top 10 states where both men and women moved for love (percentages are based on the entire population of people moving in 2021, according to the US Census Bureau).
| State | Percent of Men Who Moved for There for Love |
| Illinois | 9.2% |
| Florida | 8.2% |
| North Carolina | 7.8% |
| Texas | 6.7% |
| Colorado | 4.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 4.5% |
| California | 4.4% |
| Virigina | 4.2% |
| Ohio | 4.1% |
| Tennessee | 4.1% |
| State | Percent of Women Who Moved There for Love |
| Texas | 13.42% |
| California | 6.83% |
| Illinois | 6.33% |
| Florida | 6.12% |
| Colorado | 4.81% |
| Pennsylvania | 4.55% |
| Tennessee | 4.46% |
| Missouri | 4.19% |
| Michigan | 3.82% |
| Utah | 3.55% |
As far as the cities where most people landed, the majority weren’t major cities, but smaller towns and the countryside (14.5%). Many more relocated to the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro area (IL-IN-WI, 7.6%) and Raleigh-Carey, NC (3.5%). Below is a list of the top 10 metro areas that received the most movers looking for love.
| Metro Area | Percent of People Moving Who Relocated There for Love |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI | 7.6% |
| Raleigh-Carey, NC | 3.5% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3.0% |
| Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX | 3.0% |
| Orlando, FL | 2.8% |
| New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA | 2.4% |
| St. Louis, MO/IL | 1.9% |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 1.8% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1.8% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL | 1.8% |
