Key Findings
- 30% of Americans surveyed plan to move at some point this year
- Key reasons cited for wanting to move in 2024 were “Family” (26%), “Wanting more space/bigger home” (22%) and “New job or promotion” (17%)
- 26% are thinking of leaving the country pending the outcome of the 2024 presidential election
- 1 in 5 (20%) considered moving to a state with open access to abortion after Roe v Wade was overturned
- Florida narrowly beat California as the moving destination “if money was no object”
- 52% of respondents who said they aren’t moving in 2024 cited financial reasons
It’s officially moving season, AKA the four months of May through August when the majority of moves in the United States take place every year.
HireAHelper’s yearly Moving Season Survey asked over 2,000 Americans what their moving plans are for 2024. What did they say? Where are people going? And why?
We looked at how many Americans plan on moving this year, what was behind their decision to move or stay put, and how this year’s trends and developments might affect moving patterns in America this year.
Almost One in Three Americans Plan on Moving in 2024
Despite last year’s overall decrease in moving, 30% of Americans surveyed planned on moving at some point in 2024. An additional 54% don’t have such plans, while 16% haven’t made up their minds yet.
Overall, that’s a general decrease in moving intent compared to last year’s survey when 38% said they intended to move. Still, it’s a substantial percentage considering less than 8% of the U.S. population actually did move last year.
“…those in rental accommodation (38%) were twice as likely to report an intention to move in 2024 compared to those who owned a home (16%).”
Americans may be more likely to stay put this year than last, but one trend that hasn’t changed is younger generations are significantly more eager to move than their older counterparts. As many as 38% of Gen Z and 37% of Millennials planned to move in 2024, compared to just 24% of Gen X’ers and 12% of Baby Boomers.
Another important note is that the gap between renter and homeowner relocators widened this year; those in rental accommodation (38%) were twice as likely to report an intention to move in 2024 compared to those who owned a home (16%).
Furthering the narrative that America lacks affordable housing, only 25% of those relocating renters said they are moving to become homeowners, while the other 75% said they intended to keep living the rental life.
The Cities and States With the Most Movers and Stayers
Among cities with a statistically representative number of respondents, people from Atlanta, GA (48%), Seattle, WA (38%) and Houston, TX (37%) were most likely to have plans to move at some point during 2024, whether in or out of their city.
Residents of Philadelphia, PA (18%), on the other hand, were least likely to say they would relocate this year, as people in Dallas, TX and Boston, MA had a reported moving intent of only 26%.
States
What about states? The states with the fewest amount of people who said they were likely to move in 2024 were Pennsylvania (22%) and New Jersey (24%).
The states where moving intent was the highest were Ohio (35%) and Florida (34%), places where more than one-third of respondents planned on moving this year.
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Family, Housing Top Reasons for Moving in 2024
What reasons did people give for wanting to move in 2024?
Much like last year, the biggest driving force for those looking to move was family, specifically “Moving closer to family members” (26%) and “Wanting more space or a bigger home” (22%).
Last year, the third most common consideration for potential movers was “Inflation“, but this year gave way to “New job or promotion” (17%). This could be due to the U.S. job market having had a strong year so far, with inflation itself significantly lower than one year ago.
Slightly More Financial Flexibility in 2024, And More
This year, financial reasons played a lower (but still significant) role in people’s moving motivations.
In our 2023 survey, 38% of all respondents who made plans to move did so (at least in part) for not being able to afford their home, moving to an area with a lower cost of living, and getting evicted.
But this year, only 29% checked a box for any one of these reasons. That’s a pretty significant drop!
“…(26%) of Americans we surveyed said they’d consider leaving the U.S. if Donald Trump were elected president this November. How many would leave if Joe Biden was re-elected? Also 26%! That’s just how divided the country appears these days.”
Another reason for moving that saw a drop this year was a move forced by “Climate change“. If 15% of potential movers in 2023 ultimately factored in climate change into their moving plans, only 9% plan to do so this year.
Other notable changes: more Americans intend to move because they “Want a better school district” (12%), “Bought a home” (11%), and because they started “A new relationship or got married” (10%).
Also interesting is that almost one in 10 (9%) respondents who intended to move in 2024 said the fact that they “Don’t like local politics where (they) live” was the main driver to their intentions to move. Last year, that share was only 5% of total relocators.
Many Moving Plans Affected by the Real Estate Commission
Besides more typical reasons for moving such as family, jobs and housing, a few recent developments in the news have also impacted moving plans this year.
A recent landmark court case between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and home sellers resulted in the abolition of the longstanding 6% commission on buying or selling a home. This court ruling, which is poised to shake up the real estate market in the coming months, has seemingly affected many, as the moving plans of 49% of all respondents and two-thirds (67%) of those planning to move this year reported being affected by this case.
How the NAR impacted moving
A total of 45% of respondents with moving plans in 2024 said this development made them more likely to move because “Homes are likely to become cheaper” (33%), or because they “Will be able to sell (their) home faster” (12%).
Not everyone is quite as optimistic, however, as 13% of people who planned on moving admitted they’re moving because “They may need to pay a commission to (their) agent as a buyer“, while an additional 10% think they “Won’t be able to sell (their) home at a higher price“.
Most Movers Won’t Go Far: 71% of Planned Moves to Stay Within the Same State
A growing share of moves our respondents have planned are local.
Some 44% of those who plan on moving in 2024 intend to stay within the bounds of their current city. Only 27% plan on moving elsewhere within their state.
Changing States
16% of potential movers are looking to relocate to a different state. Curiously, it’s the older Americans who are most likely to have a cross-state move in the works; in fact, Baby Boomers (29%) were twice as likely to plan a move to another state compared to Millennials (14%).
This is likely because retirees are more likely to move further than others, a fact we consistently find in our studies of moving for retirement.
Surprisingly, as many as 7% may leave the United States altogether! This sentiment is strongest with those who aren’t happy with politics where they live, 19% of which said they’d be willing to move to a different country.
How Politics Impacts Moving Intent in 2024
Speaking of leaving the country, more than a quarter (26%) of Americans we surveyed said they’d consider leaving the U.S. if Donald Trump were elected president this November. How many would leave if Joe Biden was re-elected? Also 26%! That’s just how divided the country appears these days.
Thus, with this year being a presidential election year, it would be hardly surprising that politics is playing more on people’s minds.
Unaffordable for Most: Finances Continue to Hold Americans Back from Moving
Unaffordable for Most: Finances Continue to Hold Americans Back from MovingIf a smaller share of Americans are planning to move this year, what’s holding them back?
For a majority of them, it’s simply not something they can afford.
Of respondents who are not moving this year, over half (52%) said they are staying put because they “Can’t afford to move“. One-third of respondents (33%) also noted they “Can’t afford housing where (they) want to live“.
Additionally, nearly one in five “Worried it may not work out” (23%), “Would be too far away from (their) family” (23%), or are simply “Worried about making a big change” (21%).
It’s not all worries and concerns, however. One in four (25%) of those who aren’t moving this year are staying put for one very simple reason: “I like where I currently live“.
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About $500: Here’s How Much Americans Estimate Their Move Would Cost in 2024
With such a high share of our respondents not moving because they can’t afford it, how much do those who do intend to move plan on spending?
Of all who plan on moving, 50% plan want to keep their costs to a maximum of $500, which may include buying moving boxes, renting a truck, potentially hiring movers, etc. (The overall average estimate of moving costs is just under that amount: $496.)
The average estimate for moving costs specifically from respondents who plan on hiring movers was somewhat higher: $613. Meanwhile, those set on moving entirely by themselves plan on squeezing in a move with under $400.
California Florida Dreaming: Where Americans Would Move if Money Were No Object
CaliforniaIf anything were possible and if money didn’t matter, where would Americans move to?
Last year, Americans said they dreamed of moving to California more than any other state. In 2024, the dream state to be in is Florida, with nearly 10% saying that’s where they’d move to if money were no object.
California is right behind the Sunshine State with 9% of the preference share. Hawaii is the only state that can compete as a potential dream destination; it was name-dropped in just over 8% of our study participants.
Texas, Tennessee, New York, and Georgia were named as the places people would move if anything were possible by between 3% and 4% of respondents. (Funnily enough, marginally more people (4.5%) indicated they’d rather leave the U.S. than move to these four states, if money were no object.)
The States Americans Would Never Move To
California may have lost the popularity contest to Florida in this year’s survey, but instead, it appears to have topped a different kind of ranking this year.
When asked, “To which state or states, if any, would you not move under any circumstances?”, 28% of our study participants chose California – more than any other state.
Other states that feature prominently on this list are Alaska, where 23% wouldn’t ever want to move, New York (22%) and Alabama (21%). Florida – a dream destination for some Americans – is a no-go area for 20% of our respondents.
Which state consistently got marked as the place to leave? Well, it was whichever state the respondent already lived in! “Home state” was the least desirable place to live, as reported by 12% of all dissenting respondents.
