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2024 Study: ‘Brain Drain’? The States With the Largest Net Gains and Losses of College-Educated Americans

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Key Findings

  • College-educated Americans were more likely to move (9%) than those without a college degree (7%), according to 2023 Census Bureau data
  • Americans with a college degree were 73% more likely to cite “a new job” as their reason for moving last year
  • Two of the top three destination states for Americans with college degrees — Washington (+169%) and Nevada (+111%) — don’t have state income taxes 
  • New York state (-56%) had a higher net “brain drain” than Alabama (-45%)
  • Four of the top six metros college-educated Americans were most likely to leave are in California

In 2019, a U.S. Congress report looked into “brain drain,” a phenomenon they defined as when “someone in the top third of the national education distribution (resides) in a state other than her birth state between the ages of 31 and 40.”

One of its core findings was that states in the Rust Belt and the Southeast of the U.S. have been losing highly educated Americans for decades, and losing them mostly to states on the West Coast. 

brain drain hireahelperLast year however, an analysis by the New York Times found that more recently, coastal cities such as San Francisco and New York City were losing high rates of college-educated people due to the high cost of living. They reported an influx of college-educated Americans into cities in Georgia and North Carolina — the very states found to be severely impacted by brain drain just a few years prior.

So which is it? Are young, educated people opting for coastal areas over the Southeast and Midwest? Or are they moving away from the coasts, looking for a more affordable living?

In this 2024 report, we try to make sense of these seemingly oppositional reports and shed light on the states and cities losing and gaining the most highly educated Americans. 

Low Taxes, High Gains: Two States with No Income Tax Among Top Destinations for Educated Americans in 2023

Reports that college graduates are leaving the coasts may still be true for New York and California, but they certainly don’t fully account for the coast along the Pacific Northwest.

Top State Winners

According to the latest Current Population Survey, Washington state had three times as many (+169%) college graduates move in compared to leave in 2023; this is the highest net ratio of all states.

Why Washington? A leading educated guess is due to taxes.

A recent estimate places earnings of Americans with a college degree at about 69% higher than the national average, and at over twice as high as those who only finished high school. This might explain why many are flocking to a state that doesn’t have an income tax. (Washington’s biggest city, Seattle, also remains a top location for tech talent.)

 

“The state that lost the most college-educated residents in 2023 was South Dakota, which saw 72% more people with a college degree leave the state versus move in.”

 

Other states on the net-gain list that saw twice as many college-educated Americans move there during 2023 were South Carolina (+137%), Nevada (+111%), and Wisconsin (+110%). 

It’s worth noting that Nevada is another state where no income tax is levied, a state that shares a border with California, a state where taxes are among the highest in the nation.

The South and New England: The States That Lost the Most College-Educated Residents in 2023

States in the Rust Belt seem to have shaken off the issue of losing their highly educated population in 2023 (roughly defined as center-located Midwestern and Eastern states), but the trend in the Southeast persisted last year.

The state that lost the most college-educated residents in 2023 was South Dakota, which saw 72% more people with a college degree leave the state versus move in.

Meanwhile, many states in the Southeast continue to struggle with the so-called brain drain, which is consistent with the 2019 congressional report. Mississippi (-67%), Louisiana (-62%), Oklahoma (-62%) and Alabama (-45%) all saw significantly more college-educated residents leave rather than move in last year.

Interestingly, the Northeastern U.S. appeared to be another brain drain cluster last year. 

New York (-56%) had the sixth-greatest net loss of college-educated residents in the country last year, while every single New England state (except for Rhode Island) lost more residents with college degrees than they gained in 2023, according to the U.S. Census.

Taxes might play a role, as the high cost of living didn’t seem to deter moves to blue states in the Pacific Northwest, yet a blue state like New York (which is among the most expensive to live in) saw big net losses in talent last year.

To see how all the states compare among the number of college-educated residents they attracted and lost in 2023, check out our interactive map below.

Big Cities Lose, Florida Metros Gain: The Top Cities and Metropolitan Area for College-Educated Americans in 2023

A big pattern we’ve found in our migration studies of Millennials and Gen Z was also present in the moves of college-educated Americans: metros in Florida keep topping the list!

Top City/Metro Winners

The Sarasota-Bradenton, FL metro led the pack in 2023, with 135% more people with a college degree moving there last year compared to the total number of college-educated people leaving.

Metro areas around Jacksonville, FL (+81%) and Tampa, FL (+56%) were also top 10 metro areas for 2023. (Interestingly, while many areas in Florida are attracting Americans with college degrees, Orlando, FL metro areas lost about -20% more college-educated people than it gained last year.)

 

“…Washington state had three times as many (+169%) college graduates move in compared to leave in 2023; this is the highest net ratio of all states.”

 

Consistent with state-level findings, the Las Vegas, NV metro (+71%) gained a significant number of residents with college degrees. Similarly, two metros in South Carolina, Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC (+48%) and Charleston-North Charleston, SC (+47%), also rose in college-educated representation. 

And while Tennessee may be losing more highly educated Americans than it’s gaining, that isn’t true of the Nashville, TN metro area; almost twice as many (+98%) college degree holders moved into this metro than left it last year. (It’s worth noting that Tennessee also doesn’t have a state income tax.)

 

Metro % Net Gain — Metro % Net Loss
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 135% Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA -51%
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN 98% New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA -40%
Jacksonville, FL 81% San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA -48%
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 71% Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA -32%
Austin-Round Rock, TX 70% Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI -32%
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 61% San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA -25%
Ann Arbor, MI 56% Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL -20%
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 56% Columbus, OH -19%
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 48% Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT -19%
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 47% Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI -18%

 

Top Metro Losers

While Florida dominated the top destinations list, California had the most metros on the most-moved-out list.

Four of the top six metropolitan areas with the largest net losses in number of college-educated residents were metros in California: Oxnard, CA (-51%), San Jose, CA (-48%), Los Angeles, CA (-32%), and San Francisco, CA (-25%).

What’s the reason behind the California exodus? 

Without being able to declare any single correlation, one can still point to its rising cost of living, a largely unchecked housing crisis, and a documented outflow of tech workers as culprits for why California is losing educated residents at an alarming rate. A similar concern can be said about the New York, NY metro, which had the second greatest (-49%) net loss of all metros when it comes to in- and out-moves by college-educated Americans. 

Explore the moving patterns of highly educated Americans for all other metro areas in our interactive map below.

New Jobs and Relationships: The Reasons Behind Moves of College-Educated Americans

According to the Census Bureau figures on moves in 2023, college-educated Americans were more likely to move (9%) than their counterparts without a college degree (7%).

Looking at their reasons for moving, the one reason that stands out is work. Americans with a college degree who moved last year were 73% more likely to report doing so for “a new job or job transfer” than their non-college-educated counterparts. 

Additionally, they were 24% more likely to cite moving due to a “relationship with umarried partner,” and 15% more likely to cite moving due to wanting “to own a home, not rent.”

The Census data suggests that college-educated Americans weren’t reporting moving for cost-cutting; college-educated Americans were 30% less likely to report moving for “cheaper housing” than those without a college degree.

Sources and Methodology
All data on moves, their origins, destinations and reasons behind them were taken from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and its Annual Social and Economic Supplements, as available via IPUMS. All estimates and percentages are based on moves within the United States.
“College-educated American” was defined as, “someone who has completed at least an undergraduate/Bachelor’s degree, including a master’s degree, doctorate, or similarly advanced degree.”)
Net gain and loss for states and metropolitan areas were calculated as follows:
  • number of people with a college degree moving into the state or city, to
  • the number of people with a college degree moving out of the state or city,
  • expressed as a percentage (%)
Illustrations by Eva Redamonti

2023 Study: Where Americans Are Moving Abroad Post-Pandemic

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Key Findings:

  • The UK is the #1 destination for moving abroad (~21,900 moves), ahead of Mexico (19,620 moves).
  • Compared to the same period last year, 30% more Americans moved to the UK in the first six months of 2023 
  • Canada welcomed 10% more Americans as new residents in the first six months of 2023 than at this time last year, according to official figures
  • 22% more Americans moved to European countries in 2022 (100,320) than in 2021
  • Fewer Americans are interested in moving abroad in 2023, as the number of relevant Google searches is down 30% year-over-year

When we last covered the topic of Americans moving abroad in late 2022, the interest in leaving the country was the highest it’s been since the Presidential Elections in 2016.

This year, despite a 30% reduction in moving-abroad-related Google searches, American moves outside of the country don’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, more Americans moved to the UK, Mexico, and Canada so far in 2023 than at this time last year. 

In this year’s study, we chart the updated numbers of Americans moving abroad, look at top destinations overall, and highlight the fastest-growing areas in recent years.

Less Googling, More Moving: Moves to Top Destinations Hold Steady as Search Interest Declines

In the first nine months of 2023, there were around 59,000 monthly Google searches in the United States for “moving abroad” or “moving to <insert country>”.

 

“Not only has the UK overtaken Mexico as the top destination overall, but Canada received fewer U.S. citizens as new residents (10,415) than France (12,220), Spain (11,156), and Germany (10,510).”

 

Impressive as that number is, it’s 30% less than in 2022 when the average number of monthly searches for moving abroad and related keywords was 84,020. This includes a 53% reduction in searches for “moving to Canada”, and an 81% year-over-year drop in searches for “moving to Spain”.

Only a handful of countries saw a higher search interest in 2023. Searches for moving to the Middle Eastern countries of Bahrain (+50%) and Saudi Arabia (+43%) spiked the highest, while Belgium (+18%) and South Africa (+15%) saw a moderate increase in relocation interest.

an illustration of two people sitting in a living room. the canadian flag can be seen waving outside the window.But while the search interest in moving abroad is waning, the number of U.S. citizens moving to some of the top destination countries in 2023 is increasing year-over-year.

The United Kingdom, for example, had over 11,500 Americans move there from January through June 2023, about 30% more than in the first six months of 2022. The number of Americans who moved to Canada (+10%) and Mexico (+1%) in the first eight months of 2023 is higher than in the same period last year. 

Steady Flow: American Moves Abroad Hit Five-Year High in 2022

According to official statistics, almost 160,000 U.S. citizens relocated to one of 40 different countries for work, study, or family reasons in 2022. Which is more Americans leaving the country than any year since 2017. 

The most popular destinations for Americans moving abroad include countries such as Mexico, Canada, the UK, all the countries of the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Israel.

2022’s figure is not only the highest number going back five years, but it also represents a 16% increase in the number of moves abroad compared to 2021. In fairness, the years 2020 and 2021 were significantly affected by the pandemic, resulting in a significant decrease in moves abroad and travel in general.

Taken together, over 821,000 U.S. citizens relocated to one of these 40 countries since 2017. 

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Move Over, Canada: Top Destinations for American Moves Abroad in 2022

If Americans are leaving the country in record numbers, where are they going? Traditionally, the top destinations have been America’s neighbors Canada and Mexico, and the United Kingdom, with whom the U.S. has significant historical ties.

In 2022, however, the top destinations looked different. Not only has the UK overtaken Mexico as the top destination overall, but Canada received fewer U.S. citizens as new residents (10,415) than France (12,220), Spain (11,156), and Germany (10,510).

As Canada drops a few places in the destinations ranking, Japan is on its way up. Having been closed for entry due to the COVID-19 pandemic longer than most countries, it only properly reopened in 2022 to see 6,642 U.S. citizens relocate there — more than twice as many moves than in 2021 (2,983).

Surf’s Up: Fastest-Growing Destinations for Americans Leaving the U.S.

Japan may have recorded a significant bump in the number of U.S. citizens relocating there, but it’s actually a return to normal numbers after the steep drop caused by COVID. 

Portugal has seen the greatest influx of moves (+195%) from the United States compared to before the pandemic. Known for being one of the sunniest countries in the world, with a relatively low cost of living, and beautiful beaches, it became a top destination for digital nomads during the pandemic years. 

New Zealand — another country with world-renowned beaches and scenery — is the second fastest-growing destination for Americans moving abroad, with 146% taking residence there in 2022, compared to 2019.

On the other hand, countries such as Brazil (-50%), Ireland (-33%), and South Korea (-31%) saw the number of Americans moving decline compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Why We Leave: Some Reasons Behind Americans Moving Abroad

While we don’t have hard data on the specific reasons why Americans decide to leave the United States, there are a few factors we can pinpoint.

 

“According to official statistics, almost 160,000 U.S. citizens relocated to one of 40 different countries for work, study, or family reasons in 2022. Which is more Americans leaving the country than any year since 2017.”

 

According to a recent Washington Post analysis, one reason for the rise of Americans moving to Mexico is that ethnic Mexicans (who were born in the U.S. and have U.S. citizenship) decide to move to Mexico with family. Deportations, unfortunately, also play a part.

The same analysis picks out “a sense of adventure” as one of the forces driving Americans to move abroad, such as wanting to work or study somewhere completely different. More pragmatic reasons include lower cost of living, lower taxation, and better quality of life, as CNN’s reporting suggests.

There is some anecdotal evidence that the rise of remote work and the digital nomad movement is responsible for some Americans leaving the U.S., but it’s difficult to estimate how permanent those moves are and how many people are making them.

Sources and Methodology

Only moves with stated reasons indicating a certain degree of permanence were analyzed, including work, study, and family. Military moves were excluded, as were the moves for temporary purposes, such as temporary business and tourism.
Sources for each country:
The number of monthly searches was taken from Google Ads API as the total average monthly search volume for keywords of the type “moving to <insert country>” (e.g., “moving to Canada”, “moving to Mexico” and “moving abroad”.
Illustrations by Emma Donnelly

2023 Study: 3 Million Moves Driven by Extreme Weather Events Last Year

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Key Insights

  • 3 million Americans were displaced by a natural disaster at some point in the last year
  • 530,000 (or 18% of those 3 million) still haven’t returned home after being displaced
  • 25% of moves forced by natural disasters are people destined for a different state
  • Hurricanes and storms were responsible for 51% of all the disaster-related moves in 2022
  • Fires are most likely to result in long-term or permanent displacement, as 45% of those displaced by fires in 2023 never returned home

In this study, HireAHelper takes a close look at moves forced by natural disasters in the United States.

Using the most recent data from the Census Bureau’s large-scale Household Pulse Survey and Current Population Survey, we focused on the number of disaster-forced moves over time, their typical destinations, as well as the types of disasters forcing most Americans out of their homes.

natural disaster movesDisplaced or Moved Permanently: Counting the Number of Americans Fleeing Natural Disasters

Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey puts the number of Americans displaced by a natural disaster at 3 million.

This figure made national news earlier this year and represents the number of Americans who self-reported as being displaced from their home because of a natural disaster at some point in the past year.

3 million is a large number, but it’s worth noting that most displaced moves are temporary. According to the same survey data, 33% of those Americans who have been forced to leave their home due to a natural disaster at some point in the past 12 months return home within just a week.  

A further 31% go back home within a month and 19% return after six months to a year away from their usual residence.

That said, as of May 2023, 18% of Americans displaced by a natural disaster still haven’t returned home after 12 months. This is equivalent to 533,000 people needing to figure out life in a new place after their previous living arrangement became untenable.  

If we look at more permanent moves, however, the number of people who moved due to a natural disaster in 2022 is around 88,000. This figure comes from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey which targets “…individuals who have usual residences elsewhere,” meaning it reflects the number of people who moved permanently.

The most likely reason for the discrepancy between the number of permanent movies and the number of those still home after 12 months is timing. Current Population Survey data was released in late 2022 and could have been too early to reflect the full impact of disasters such as Hurricane Ian. In turn, Household Pulse Survey from April-May 2023 would already include people who have been displaced by extreme weather events in late 2022 and early this year.

States With the Most Americans Affected

One state stands out in terms of how many of its residents have been forced to flee their homes because of a natural disaster: Louisiana. 

7.5% of people once residing in Louisiana had to, even if temporarily, leave their homes in the wake of a cataclysm in the past year — that’s one in 13 people. 

 

“Not only is Texas by far the most common destination for moves made by those fleeing a natural disaster, but it’s also the state with the highest number of disaster refugees relative to the local population (58 per 10,000).”

 

Why? Even though there weren’t any singular stand-out disasters here in the past year, parts of the state are still recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Laura in 2020 and Hurricane Ida in 2021.

The second most affected state is Florida, where 5.6% of residents found themselves displaced at one point or another in the past 12 months. And while Louisiana hasn’t experienced a major cataclysm last year, Florida had Hurricane Ian to contend with, which was one of the worst hurricanes in U.S. history.

Kentucky (2.6%), Alaska (2.5%), Michigan (2.2%), and New Mexico (2%) are the only other states where the share of those displaced by disasters rose above 2%. Everywhere else, the percentage of residents who had to leave their homes due to a natural disaster was reportedly under 2% of residents.

Wind and Fire: Disasters that Displace the Most Americans

Between hurricanes, wildfires, and tornadoes, what extreme weather events cause the greatest number of Americans to uproot their life and move?

 

“7.5% of people once residing in Louisiana had to, even if temporarily, leave their homes in the wake of a cataclysm in the past year — that’s one in 13 people.”

 

In absolute terms, it’s by far hurricanes that account for the lion’s share of displacements — 41%. Together with tornadoes, they are responsible for over half (51%) of all disaster-related moves in the United States.

Meanwhile, wildfires are responsible for 23% of all displaced moves in the past year, while floods account for 26% of such moves, depending on the source.

Events such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity also contribute to the displacement of people, though at smaller scales.

Impacts Per Type of Disaster

Despite hurricanes causing most of the displaced moves in the United States, their impact tends to be short-term. The share of those displaced by hurricanes that return home within a month is 67% and only 10% are displaced for more than a year.

On the other hand, 45% of those who escaped wildfires can’t return home even after a year of being forced out. Tornadoes have the second displacement effect with a quarter (24%) of those who had to move out because of a tornado still aren’t home after 12 months away.

Location-Based Insights:

  • Louisiana (7%) and Florida (5.6%) have the highest proportion of people displaced by a natural disaster in the last 12 months
  • Texas is the destination for 37% of all disaster-driven interstate moves since 2005
  • Texas (58), Tennessee (51), and Mississippi (48) are the most welcoming states, with the highest ratio of disaster refugees per 10,000 people
  • New York (2.7), Kentucky (2.8), and New Jersey (3) have the fewest incoming displaced moves per 10,000 residents

How Far and Where To: Top Destinations of Displaced Moves

Compared to regular moves for work or family reasons, permanent moves caused by a natural disaster tend to go a bit farther, or, at least historically. 

Since 2006, two-thirds (65%) of Americans who move tend to stay within the same county, compared to just over half (55%) of those displaced by natural disasters stay nearby.

Conversely, 25% of those who moved due to a natural disaster went to a different state, compared to 15% of non-disaster-related moves, figures from the Current Population Survey show. 

It’s these longer-distance moves of those displaced by an extreme weather event that reveal an interesting pattern.

Since 2006, 37% of Americans who had to resettle outside their state as a result of a natural disaster went to one state – Texas. 

Not only is Texas by far the most common destination for moves made by those fleeing a natural disaster, but it’s also the state with the highest number of disaster refugees relative to the local population (58 per 10,000).

Tennessee (51) and Mississippi (48) follow as the second and third states by the number of domestic disaster refugees per 10,000 local residents.

Other states that have welcomed a significant number of displaced Americans include the three Midwestern states of Missouri (30), Wisconsin (28), and Michigan (26). Rounding off the top 10 are Arkansas and Georgia — both with 24 resettled Americans per 10,000 local residents since 2006.

State Disaster Moves per 10,000 residents State Disaster Moves per 10,000 residents
Texas 58.2 New York 2.7
Tennessee 50.9 Kentucky 2.8
Mississippi 47.7 New Jersey 3.0
Wyoming 35.0 Connecticut 3.0
Missouri 30.1 California 3.2
Wisconsin 27.7 Indiana 5.1
Michigan 25.9 Nebraska 5.6
Oregon 25.5 West Virginia 5.9
Arkansas 24.4 Alaska 6.4
Georgia 23.9 Ohio 6.5

New York (2.7 per 10,000 people) and Kentucky (2.8) are the states with the lowest intake of displaced Americans compared to the local population, followed by New Jersey (3), Connecticut (3), and California (3.2), where the share of disaster-displaced new residents to the local population is around 3 per 10,000.

To see how many Americans displaced by natural disasters each state welcomed, check out our interactive map.

Tides of Change: Moves Forced by Disasters Over Time

The number of Americans who moved due to a natural disaster hasn’t reached the level of Hurricane Katrina since then. That storm was a cataclysm that claimed over 1,000 lives,  forced over 1 million people out of their homes in late August 2005, and is generally considered one of the costliest cataclysms in U.S. history.  

But there have been some spikes of displacements of over 100,000 that have coincided with U.S. natural disasters, such as Hurricane Ike in 2008, Hurricane Florence in 2018, and the California Wildfires of 2019.

The Current Population Survey data reflect more permanent moves, meaning the true number of people who were forced to move temporarily due to various cataclysms is likely a lot higher. 

Fortunately, most Americans who had to flee their home due to a natural disaster eventually return home.

Sources and Methodology
Figures on the number of Americans that have been displaced by a natural disaster in the past 12 months, their place of residence, how long they were away from their homes, and what event caused them to leave their homes were all taken from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.
Statistics on the number of Americans who were forced to relocate due to natural disasters over time, the length of their moves, and their destinations were taken from U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (as available via IPUMS.)
U.S. Census Bureau’s state population estimates were used to calculate how many natural disaster refugees each state accepted per 10,000 residents.
Illustrations by Jiaqi Zhou

Study: How Much Does Moving Cost in 2023?

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Key Findings

  • Based on our projections, the cost of moving in 2023 will be 2% lower than in 2022
  • Moving costs are 4% higher so far in 2023 than in the same period last year
  • The average cost of a move is projected to peak at $421 by August 2023, 7% lower than last year’s high of $454
  • Moving costs are spiking highest in New Mexico (+39%), Kentucky (+30%), and Minnesota (+25%) in the first five months of the year
  • Maine (-15%), Rhode Island (-14%), and Oklahoma (-10%) are the states with the lowest cost of moving compared to this time last year
  • Cypress, TX (+39%) and Louisville, KY (+39%) are the cities where the cost of moving is spiking in 2023, compared to last year

 

When we looked into the cost of moving last year, prices were buoyed by record-high inflation, as well as the rising costs of fuel, cars and trucks; unsurprisingly, moving costs soared to an all-time high. 

Overall, with a peak of $454 in August, the average cost of moving in 2022 was $410 — 7% higher than the year before.

Has it gotten better? Well, based on our figures for the first five months of 2023, the average cost of a move in the United States at the half way point is currently $399, some 4% higher than in the same period last year!

But will the cost of moving in 2023 remain as high all year long, or will costs fall back to Earth? Which states are seeing the most dramatic jumps in moving costs compared to last year? And are there any places where moving is actually getting cheaper?

Still Up on Last Year: How the Cost of Moving Changed Over Time

Based on the moves booked via HireAHelper and our partners in the first five months of the year, moving costs an average of $399, just 2% higher than the $391 we recorded at the same time in 2022.

“…with the projected annual average of $402, the average cost of a move would still be significantly higher than it was before last year, especially before the pandemic.”

 

That being said, last year we saw the cost soar from $389 in April to $427 in May, a jump which didn’t happen this year; average costs largely lingered around the $400 mark.

While this is good news relative to last year, it’s worth remembering that before and during the pandemic, moving used to cost significantly less, and only started to edge into the $400 or greater territory around late 2021.

More Affordable in Maine, Costlier in Kentucky: Cost of Moving Change by State

As the cost of moving continues to climb upwards at the start of the year, here are the states where movers are most likely to be feeling the pinch.

an illustration of a microscope looking at a miniature home, moving boxes, and a price tagBased on HireAHelper figures for the first five months of 2023, New Mexico (+39%) and Kentucky (+30%), are the states where not only moving costs over 30% more than last year, but also where the average price of moving now exceeds $500.

Similar spikes in the cost of moving are seen in the three Midwestern states, the highest being Minnesota, where the cost of moving went is 25% higher so far this year. 

In Missouri and Wisconsin, the year-over-year increase in moving costs is 17% so far in 2023. Incidentally, Wisconsin is the state with the highest average price of a move this year – $515.

Other states where moving costs are significantly higher this year are Illinois, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. In these states, according to our data, people are paying around 9% more for their move in 2023 than they would at this time last year.

But it’s not all bad news! While the majority of states are seeing the cost of moving go up, there are 13 where it’s gotten cheaper than it was last year.

Maine, the state where the cost of moving spiked 51% last year, currently has the biggest annual decrease in the average move price of -15%. The state with the second-biggest dip in the cost of moving is Oklahoma, where it’s 10% cheaper to move so far this year than it was in 2022.

 

“…the biggest year-over-year drop in the average cost of a move in Oklahoma City, OK, where the cost of moving is 24% lower so far in 2023.”

 

Idaho (-9%), Connecticut (-6%), and Utah (-5%) are other states with fairly sizeable reductions in the average cost of a move. States that registered smaller decreases include Tennessee (-4%), Virginia (-2%), and California (-2%). 

One possible explanation for prices dropping in these states is cheaper fuel. Based on LendingTree’s recent analysis of fuel price changes, states such as Maine, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia saw some of the biggest drops in gas prices so far in 2023.

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Up in Louisville, Down in Oklahoma City: Cost of Moving by City

While our data suggests that nationally the cost of moving is up only 4%, some cities are seeing spikes that far exceed that figure.

In as many as 10 cities, the average amount people pay for their move in 2023 is at least 25% higher than it was at the same time last year. This cost of moving spike is most significant in Louisville, KY (+39%) and Cypress, TX (+39%).

In fact, Louisville, KY is the city where the average cost of a move is the highest overall so far in 2023 and is at $531.

Further down the list, Greensboro, NC,  Irvine, CA, and Saint Louis, MO registered an annual increase in moving costs of about 33%. 

At the city level, the place with by far the biggest year-over-year drop in the average cost of a move was in Oklahoma City, OK, where the cost of moving has been 24% lower so far in 2023.

Fairfax, VA, Chandler, AZ, and San Diego follow closely, featuring an overall 19% reduction in how much people paid for their moves in the first five months of this year.

Two Texan cities where moving is already among the cheapest in the country, Spring, TX and Katy, TX, registered, respectively, 17% and 15% year-over-year decreases in the cost of moving in 2023.

Check our interactive map showing the change in the cost of moving across states and cities in 2023:

Silver Linings: Moving Should Get (Slightly) Cheaper in 2023

Based on our figures, the cost of moving is projected to drop this year. So far in 2023, the average cost of a standard labor-only move is $399, which is a little higher than in the first five months of last year ($391). 

 

“…last year we saw the cost soar from $389 in April to $427 in May, which didn’t happen this year, as the costs largely lingered around the $400 mark.”

 

However, because we have not seen the cost of moving spike from April to May as we did last year, we can project that it’s unlikely to be as high as it was in 2022. This prediction isn’t just based on our data alone.

So far, this year is the first year since 2017 when new and used vehicles are seeing an annual price decrease. Inflation in fuel prices, as well as inflation in the U.S. economy overall is on a downward trajectory, all contributing to the small drop in projected moving prices.

Based on this year’s projections, the price will, again, peak in August when it’s likely to reach an average of $421. But that would be a far cry from last year’s $454 at the height of the moving season.

Similarly, if last year’s cost of moving didn’t dip below $400, this year we project that it will fall to $395 by the end of the year.

All this said, with the projected annual average of $402, the average cost of a move would still be significantly higher than it was before last year, especially before the pandemic.

This is all the more reason to make sure not to overspend on your move. Check out our most recent tips on how to cut moving costs or how to save money if you’re planning on renting a truck for your move. For those of you moving this summer, have a look at our guide to saving money when moving during the peak moving season.

Sources and Methodology
All charts and tables are based on the analysis of 263,000 local moves in the U.S. booked through HireAHelper.com and our partners from January 2018 through May 2023.
States and cities with less than 100 moves in the last 12 months were excluded from the state-by-state and city-by-city analysis, respectively. However, calculations of the cost of moving by month of the year or day of the week do include data from all states and cities.
Illustrations by Shideh Ghandeharizadeh

2023 Study: Corporate Relocation at Highest Rate Since 2017

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Key Findings

  • 593 (~9%) of America’s corporations moved headquarters since the beginning of 2022, the highest rate since 2017
  • 29% more companies moved their HQs in 2022-23 than in the previous fiscal year
  • 20% of corporate relocations happened within the same city; 31% moved to a different city within the same state
  • 62% of corporations moved to a city with a smaller population
  • According to our survey, 72% of people would be prepared to move with their employer, provided relocation costs were covered
  • Almost half (44%) of our survey respondents would be willing to follow their employer to a different state

Whether to cut costs, gain a more beneficial tax rate, or be closer to a target market, about 9% of corporations in the United States moved their headquarters within the past fiscal year — the highest percentage since 2016-17, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.

States like New York and cities like Seattle are seeing corporate headquarters move away, while smaller cities outside large urban centers are becoming new homes to big companies in tech and pharmaceuticals.

Our study breaks down where companies are moving to, which states and cities they’re leaving behind, and whether workers are on board with following their employer to their new HQ location.

On the Move: Corporate Relocation Rate Highest in Seven Years

According to the most recent SEC figures, 593 (or 8.9%) of the roughly 6,700 publicly traded corporations in America moved their HQs in the past fiscal year (i.e., March 2022-March 2023).

2022-2023 had the highest rate of corporate headquarters relocation in seven years, and it’s been on the rise since it took a dip to below 7% in 2020 (likely due to the pandemic).

Comparing the absolute number of companies moving their offices year-over-year, the 593 corporations moving HQs in 2022-23 represents a 29% growth over the fewer number of companies (458) that relocated in 2021-22.

It is also the highest year-over-year bounce in a decade, besting even the post-pandemic return to activity in 2021-22. That was a banner year, where the number of corporations relocating their HQs went up by 25%.

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Top States

Florida for the Win: Which states are corporations moving to?

Not only are corporates moving in high numbers, but as many as 24% of those that moved chose to relocate their headquarters to a different state entirely. Here’s the breakdown.

Florida had 86% more corporations move their HQ there, compared to the number of companies that chose to move their head office out of Florida — the highest net gain of any state!

Texas, the state that in the last year has officially moved their welcomed Hewlett-Packard and Caterpillar Inc, among other companies, saw the second highest net gain (71%).

Two other states had notably strong showings, Arizona (+65%) and Utah (+57%), both saw very impressive growth in the number of HQs of America’s corporations they now host.

Which states are corporations leaving?

Office moving trends appear to be relatively similar to individual people’s moving trends, at least in the sense that leaving places like New York and California is a popular idea.

The state that corporations were most likely to abandon was, surprisingly, Washington, with 83% more companies leaving it than moving in. Notable departures include media company Arena Group, and Clearsign Technologies, a developer of emission control solutions.

New York (-51%) and California (-46%) aren’t far behind Washington, ranking second and third among the states that lost the most corporate HQs, respectively.

Among the companies that left New York are Philip Morris International and the financial firm Assurant, Inc. California’s noteworthy departures include the coworking space giant WeWork and clinical nutrition company Guardion Health Sciences.

Location-based Insights

  • Florida (+86%) and Texas (+71%) are the states with the greatest net gain of corporate headquarters in the past year
  • Washington (-83%) registered the highest net loss of corporate HQs since the start of 2022
  • Waltham, MA (+175%), Burlington, MA (+133%), and Spring, TX (+100%) had the most corporate move-ins, compared to the number of those moving out
  • Cambridge, MA (-40%), Seattle, WA (-37%), and San Jose, CA (-25%) are the cities with the largest net losses of corporate HQs in the past year

Top Cities

Going East: Which cities are corporations moving to? 

When it comes to specific destinations for corporates looking for a new HQ, Waltham, MA saw the highest corporate net growth across cities over the past fiscal year (+175%). (Five companies moved to this relatively small city on the outskirts of Boston, and not a single one left.)

Noteworthy new corporate residents of Waltham, MA include biotech and pharmaceutical firms such as Cogent Biosciences and CinCor Pharma.

Burlington, MA (+133%) and Spring, TX (+100%) are second and third in growth, respectively. Burlington’s newly headquartered corporations are software companies and biotech firms, while Spring, TX is where Hewlett-Packard moved their headquarters in a widely publicized move. 

Meanwhile, three cities in Florida are among the 10 with the highest net gains: Jacksonville, FL (+67%), Tampa, FL (+49%), and Miami, FL (+33%).

Which cities are corporations leaving?

Unexpectedly, the city that lost the most corporate HQs compared to the number it gained is Cambridge, MA (-40%).

This famous college town next to Boston, MA has long been a mecca for many biotech and pharma firms, which seemingly doesn’t leave room for previous industry giants. 

 

“Not only are corporates moving in high numbers, but as many as 24% of those that moved chose to relocate their headquarters to a different state entirely.”

 

Just beneath Cambridge, Seattle (-37.5%), as well as multiple cities in the Bay Area of California, lost multiple company headquarters over the past fiscal year compared to the number they gained. New York City (-13.4% ) also makes an appearance in the 12th spot.

It is worth noting that despite the net losses, dozens of companies still established their new headquartered in New York City within the past year, as well as in other net loss cities, like San Jose and San Francisco.

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Top Potential Reasons for HQ Relocations: Lower Taxes, Lower Rent

Based on our most recent moving study, Americans mostly move for new or better housing, or for a new job. But what are the main reasons behind corporate relocations?

One commonly presumed reason is the desire to cut costs, which can mean moving to areas where taxes are lower. This might explain why Florida and Nevada are seeing more corporations move in versus out. 

Of note, the Tax Foundation’s 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index measures, among other things, how burdensome state taxes are on businesses. It lists Florida and Nevada among the 10 least tax-burdened states. Meanwhile, Texas — a state without a corporate tax — is not too far behind in 12th place.

 

“Assuming moving costs are covered, over 72% of respondents in a nationally representative survey HireAHelper conducted earlier this month said they’d be ready and willing to move with their employer.”

 

Another reason for corporate relocation is that the cost of office space is too high. Looking at office rent levels across the country, most cities that registered net losses of corporate HQs (e.g., New York City and San Jose) are among the most expensive for business rental costs.

The cost of office space is a problem that’s also been exacerbated by the rise of remote work in the pandemic years. America’s biggest cities continue to struggle with high office vacancy rates, as companies remain remote, or adopt a hybrid work arrangement.

In support of this trend, our analysis of 2022-23 SEC filings showed that 62% of corporates that relocated their HQ in the past year moved to cities with smaller populations, and in turn, more affordable rental rates.

Employee Perspectives: Most Americans Willing To Move with Employer 

corporate relocation hireahelperIt’s sensible for corporations to seek better fiscal conditions for their business. But what about the employees that get caught up in corporate relocations and transfers?

We may not know what percentage of employees are forced to relocate when a corporation moves its HQ, but we do have data that suggests a significant percentage of employees would be willing to move for work.

Assuming moving costs are covered, over 72% of respondents in a nationally representative survey HireAHelper conducted earlier this month said they’d be ready and willing to move with their employer. Surprisingly enough, ~27% would be willing to move to a “nearby” state, and almost one in five (~17%) said they would consider traveling with their employer across the country.

On the whole, willingness to relocate with the employer reportedly decreases with age; Gen Y/Millennials (~78%), are more likely to move with their employer than Gen Z (~74%). 

Curiously enough, it’s actually Gen X that seems most amenable to moving to a different state on the other side of the country (~21% of Gen X respondents, compared to ~19% of Millennials and ~15% of Gen Z members.).

Having children doesn’t appear to dramatically affect the desire to follow the employer’s move, either. Over 75% of Parents would be prepared to make a move for their company, provided relocation costs were covered, which is actually more than the 69% of Non-Parents who said they were willing to move with the company they worked for.

People of Color (~78%) are more likely to consider such a move than White Americans (69%), with ~31% of people of color saying they would be prepared to move to a state in a different part of the country, compared to ~25% of white Americans.

Sources and Methodology
All the data used in this study, unless otherwise stated, were taken or derived from the public database of Financial Statement Data Sets, available on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Headquarters location was taken as the “business address” field of each company’s filing and each change in the business address of the company was counted as a move of their headquarters.
The annual HQ moving rate in a given year was calculated as the number of companies that changed address compared to the total number of companies that had filed with the SEC in that year, expressed as a percentage.
As per the disclaimer issued by the SEC regarding this data: “The Financial Statement Data Sets contain information derived from structured data filed with the Commission by individual registrants as well as Commission-generated filing identifiers. Because the data sets are derived from information provided by individual registrants, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data sets. In addition, it is possible inaccuracies or other errors were introduced into the data sets during the process of extracting the data and compiling the data sets.“
Only companies based in the United States were included in the analysis.
Illustrations by Sean O’Brien

2022 Study: Where Americans Are Actually Moving Abroad ????✈️

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Key Statistics on Americans Moving Abroad:

  • Mexico is the top destination for Americans moving abroad, followed by the U.K., Canada and Australia
  • So far in 2022, ~75% more Americans have moved to Mexico than Canada 
  • Portugal has seen the biggest percentage increase in Americans moving in (+122% from 2019-2021)
  • Japan had the highest % drop of Americans moving in (-53% fewer in 2021 compared to 2019)
  • A five-year low, 2020 saw just under 74,000 Americans relocate abroad
  • Canada, Spain and the U.K. are the most Googled moving destinations this year

In our last study on Americans moving abroad, we detailed the places Americans who leave the country target, as well as explored some of the reasons driving them to leave.

Nearly two years later, now is as great a time as ever to revisit American immigration, given recent high-profile Supreme Court decisions, a spike in the cost of living, and chronically unaffordable housing all among the major issues contributing to a persistent global perception that America is a less desirable place to live.

But what do the numbers say?

In this study, we examine what countries Americans have been moving to, where they’re thinking of moving based on their Google searches, and how both of those trends have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going South? Mexico Tops U.K. and Canada as Americans’ Top Destination

Based on the most recent data, over 16,000 U.S. citizens moved to Mexico as temporary or permanent residents in 2021. That’s more than any of the 15 most common destination countries for American moves abroad (more on this later).

 

“Last year, 34% more Americans relocated to Mexico than to Canada.”

 

Moves to Mexico outnumber those to the United Kingdom (14,626), and Canada (11,955), which are the second and third most popular destinations. The fourth most popular destination is Australia, where an estimated 7,948 Americans relocated in 2021. 

Spain rounds off the top five, welcoming 7,173 Americans as new residents this year, overtaking other European destinations like France and Germany, as well as countries farther afield, such as Israel, Japan, and New Zealand.

Where to Now? Where Americans Are Ending up in 2022

While the statistics on moves this year haven’t been published by most of the countries we analyzed, we do have specific figures on the number of Americans who moved to Canada, the U.K., and Mexico in 2022.

Some 10,594 Americans moved to Mexico in 2022, which is 75% higher than those who moved to Canada (6,025). And this isn’t the first time Mexico-bound moves outnumber moves to Canada either.

Last year, 34% more Americans relocated to Mexico than to Canada. In the last five years, Mexico attracted an accumulative 13% more U.S. citizens than America’s neighbor to the north.

If migration to Mexico continues at its current pace, the country will receive over 18,000 U.S. citizens as new residents, a new five-year high. 

Interestingly, more Americans are even moving across the Atlantic to the U.K. than across their northern border. (As many as 8,324 U.S. citizens have relocated to the United Kingdom so far in 2022, which is 38% more than the number of those who moved to Canada.)

Yet while still high, the total tally of Americans moving to the U.K. and Canada in 2022 currently projects at 14,269 and 10,328 respectively—both below their 2021 levels.

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Goodbye, Japan! Hello, Portugal! Unique Trends in U.S. Moves Abroad 

Between 2017-2019, the raw number of Americans moving into one of the top 15 countries we profiled was roughly around 104,000 Americans a year.

The COVID pandemic made a significant dent in that number in 2020, bringing the number down to under 74,000 Americans leaving for new countries, roughly a 29% drop.

Yet as COVID restrictions have eased and vaccination programs have been introduced across the world, moves abroad picked up the pace again in 2021 (the last year for which government data has been released); moves abroad reached 97,806 last year— almost on par with the pre-pandemic years.

Based on countries that published their immigration statistics for 2022, the number of Americans moving to one of the top 15 countries in our analysis may return to six-digit figures by the end of 2022. However, with an estimated 100,975 moves, ex-pats likely will remain just below pre-pandemic levels.

Countries Defying the Numbers

Overall, there are still outlier countries that saw a significant jump in their total of American immigrants during 2021. Chief among them is Portugal, with 2,475 U.S. citizens relocating to this European country last year. That’s ~122% more Americans who moved there than in either 2020 or 2019!

 

“Canada may not be topping the rankings of move destinations, but it sure dominates moving intent. Americans typed ‘moving to Canada’ into Google approximately 21,000 a month in 2022, far more than similar keywords for other countries.”

 

Other countries that saw a significant percentage increase in the number of U.S. inbound moves post-pandemic include New Zealand (+78% in 2021 versus 2019), Costa Rica (+47%), and Israel (+40%).

That said, not all countries saw a return to pre-pandemic moving levels. With 2,983 moves last year, U.S. migration to Japan is still 53% below the 2019 levels. (This is no surprise, as the country has only just recently opened its borders to individual tourists.)

Elsewhere, six major countries that are traditionally among the most popular destinations for Americans saw fewer Americans moving to them in 2021 as compared to 2019. These countries are:

  • Italy (-41%)
  • France (-28%)
  • Germany (-24%)
  • Ireland (-21%),
  • U.K. (-20%),
  • South Korea (-16%)

Moving Intent: Most Searched Moving Abroad Destinations in 2022

Canada may not be topping the rankings of move destinations, but it sure dominates moving intent.

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Americans typed “moving to Canada” into Google approximately 21,000 a month in 2022, far more than similar keywords for other countries.

Surprisingly, the second most searched-for moving destination is not Mexico, but Spain, with 8,100 monthly searches so far this year. It’s just ahead of the three English-speaking countries: the ever-present U.K. (7,670 monthly searches), Australia (5,080), and New Zealand (3,800).

The top 20 most-searched-for-moving destinations are grouped as follows:

Some of these countries have historical ties to the United States, such as Japan (2,850 monthly searches), Ireland (2,140), and the Netherlands (1,190). Yet many are simply known for their relative prosperity and robust social welfare systems, such as Switzerland, Iceland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. 

Then there are places most known for their warm, pleasant climates and comparatively lower cost of living, like Portugal, Costa Rica, Mexico and Belize.

Lockdown Dreams Vs. COVID Reality: As Intent To Move Abroad Peaked in 2020, Actual Moves Plummeted

After diving deeper into Americans’ plans to move abroad, an interesting trend emerged. The number of searches for keywords around moving abroad was at a five-year high in 2020.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (also an election year), America saw 102,000 monthly searches related to moving abroad, or to a particular country. This was a whopping 40% increase from the year prior!

However, this five-year high in searches ironically overlapped with a five-year low in actual moves abroad. Again, just under 74,000 Americans moved into one of the top 15 destination countries in 2020. That’s around 30% fewer than in either 2018 or 2019.

In 2021, moving abroad-related searches went back down, with about 28% fewer searches compared to 2020. Yet wanderlust has interestingly recovered in 2022; there have been 92,000 monthly searches for moving abroad, including to specific countries.

While still behind the 2020 peak of Canadian obsession, the current volume of searches is still higher than in the pre-pandemic years.

Mixed Picture: Reasons Why Americans Leave the United States

canada

In absence of hard data, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reasons that are pushing Americans to move abroad. A recent article in Entrepreneur suggests the recent strengthening of the dollar and the rise of remote work play a part.

Reports in Forbes and Bloomberg both hint that the prospect of home ownership getting further out of reach is what is pushing Americans out of the country. In this vein, remote work and remote-work-specific visas are cited as contributing factors for defectors.

The truth is it’s still too early to definitively tell whether recent political events in the U.S. will shape immigration. However, what we do know is there continues to be an increasing number of reports of young Americans and people of color leaving the country in search of a safer and more equitable place to live.

Sources and Methodology
The top 15 countries outlined in this study are a combination of countries with most U.S. citizens living abroad (based on International Migrant Stock data, see Origin and Destination file) and the countries most searched as destinations for “moving to <insert country>” queries based on Google search volume data for 2022 obtained by Google Ads API. Only moves with stated reasons indicating a certain degree of permanence were analyzed, including work, study and family. Military moves were excluded, as were the moves for temporary purposes, such as temporary business and tourism.
Sources for each country:
Mexico: Unidad de Política Migratoria – Boletines Estadísticos
United Kingdom: Home Office – Managed Migration Datasets
Canada: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Australia: Home Affairs: Visa Statistics
Spain: Ministerio De Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones – Flujo de Autorizaciones de Residencia Concedidas a Extranjeros
Germany: Federal Statistical Office of Germany 
France: Direction générale des étrangers en France – Chiffres-clés, séjour, visas, éloignements, asile, accès à la nationalité
Ireland: Central Statistics Office – Population and Migration Estimates
South Korea: Statistics Korea – International Migration Statistics
Italy: I.Stat – Permessi di soggiorno dei cittadini stranieri
Israel: Central Bureau of Statistics – Immigration
Japan: e-Stat – Immigration Control Statistics – Status of Residence for Newly Entered Foreigners by Nationality/Region
Portugal: PorData
New Zealand: Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment – Migration Statistics
Costa Rica: Dirección General de Migración y Extranjeria – Informes Estadísticos Anuales​
The number of monthly searches was taken from Google Ads API as the total average monthly search volume for keywords of the type “moving to <insert country>” (e.g., “moving to canada”, “moving to mexico” and “moving abroad”.)
Data was collected in September 2022. Browse the data in the interactive table below.
Illustrations by Emma Donnelly

2021 Study: Do People Actually Regret Moving?

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Key Findings

  • Despite some regrets, 82% of respondents admit that moving has changed their life for the better
  • 30% of Americans that we surveyed regret at least something about their move
  • People who moved due to COVID are most likely to regret their move (31%)
  • Among those who regret their move, “moving away from their friends” (49%) and “leaving the area they used to live in” (40%) are the top regrets
  • A quarter (26%) of people regretting their move felt that way immediately after moving
  • Regretting their moves, 15% of respondents are considering moving back to where they used to live
  • Location (51%), size (41%), and layout (38%) of home are most appreciated aspects of new home

 

Do people actually regret moving? Whether moving for a new job or to retire, moving in with a significant other, or moving back in with your parents, there are many factors at play for making the big jump.

This is why it seems perfectly natural that no matter how hard we prepare for our move, we might regret something about it afterward. 

And yet, most Americans who moved in the last year don’t regret their decision. In fact, most believe it made their life better, despite some reported complex feelings from those who did end up regretting their moves. 

Read on as we break down our most recent survey of over 1,200 people who moved over the last year.

A Regret Shared: Almost One in Three Americans Who Moved Have at Least Some Regrets

While most of those who moved in the past year don’t look back, about a third (30%) have at least a few regrets about their move. 

Millennials are the least pleased with their move, as 37% of them regret at least something about it—more than any other generation. Gen Z, on the other hand, is a lot more optimistic, as only 27% of them found something regrettable about their move.

Why people move might also have an effect on whether they regret it. Those who moved due to COVID, for example, are more likely to experience regret (31% versus 22%).

Similarly, those who moved in search of cheaper housing are somewhat predictably more likely to regret their move (33%) versus those who moved to a new and better home (19%).

Leaving Friends, Neighborhood, and Family: America’s Biggest Moving Regrets

People often claim they don’t like their living situation (e.g., rent cost, landlords). But what does the data say?

In truth, moving is more of a complex trade-off. Moving somewhere for work or study sometimes comes at the price of moving away from family; moving to a bigger, better home often means exchanging a bustling, vibrant city for quiet suburban living. 

 

“While most of those who moved in the past year don’t look back, about a third (30%) have at least a few regrets about their move.”

 

So it’s no surprise that Americans reported these factors (over bad landlords!) as the most regrettable aspects about their overall move. According to respondents who reported having regrets about their most recent move, nearly half (49%) list moving further away from friends over all stated reasons. 

Meanwhile, some 40% miss the area they used to live in, while 38% have regrets about moving further away from family, the latter likely exacerbated by the restrictions on family gatherings brought about by moving during the COVID pandemic. 

moving regretsNearly a quarter (23%) of those who regret moving feel that way because it meant leaving their previous home. This sentiment is most common among those who moved to save money on housing costs.

But other moving regrets are less sentimental and more tangible. For 30% of people who claim to regret moving, it’s not where they chose, but how much they paid for the move that added to their disappointment. And for roughly 10%, it’s the choice of moving company they wish they could do over. (It literally pays to do your research.)

Instant Regret: A Quarter of Americans Who Regretted Their Move Knew It Immediately

When you know, you know, as the old saying goes. As many as 26% of Americans who have regrets about their move developed that feeling straight away. An additional 9% developed regrets after a week. Meanwhile, it took 26% one whole month to realize their newfound predicament.

That New Home Feeling: What Americans Like and Dislike About Their New Homes

Judging by our survey, if there’s one thing Americans make sure their new home delivers on, it’s location. Over 60% of those surveyed reported liking where their new place is, while only 9% aren’t happy with it.

 

“Millennials are the least pleased with their move, as 37% of them regret at least something about it—more than any other generation.”

 

moving regretsHome size (41%) and layout (38%) are the second and third most appreciated aspects of a new residence, while roughly a third pointed out they’re happy about the amenities in their home (32%) and the local area (30%).

The most common dislike with regards to the new place was financial. Almost one in five (19%) Americans who moved in the past year aren’t happy with the cost of their new home. In fact, people who moved specifically to save on housing costs are most likely (69%) to be unhappy with what they’re paying in rent or mortgage for their new place. Knowing this, it’s vital to make sure you compare the moving services in your area for the best possible price.

The Right Move: Despite Regrets, Most Feel Their Move Changed Their Life for the Better

More than 8 in 10 (82%) Americans who moved in the last 12 months feel that the move changed their life for the better. Even 77% of those who have some regrets about their new home or how the move went seem to believe it was the right thing to do.

Much like with regrets, people who moved for certain reasons felt differently about the impact their move had on their life in general. For example, a reduced 69% of those whose move was forced by COVID felt the move affected them positively. 

People whose primary reason for moving was a new or better job are also less likely to feel that way—only 68% of them felt their move had a positive impact on their life.

A small minority (5%) felt the opposite way, saying that moving made their life worse. Only about one in ten (13%) admitted moving didn’t really make a difference to them one way or the other.

Most people have difficulty with coping with and embracing change, even if change is for the better. This is probably why many Americans who moved in the last year have at least a few regrets about their decision, even though the data overwhelmingly suggests moving makes people’s lives better on the whole.

Sources and Methodology
All the figures referenced above are based on a multi-question survey of 1,253 Americans who booked and completed a verified move using HireAHelper.com within the last 12 months.

 

Illustrations by Nero Hamaoui

2019 Study: Moving Interstate Could Save (or Add) Up to $7,700 On Your State Tax Bill

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Totaling up moving costs when you’re moving out of state can leave you with sticker shock.

With a typical interstate move costing about five times more than a local move, you might be wondering if it will pay off.

One way to gauge the payoff of moving out of state is looking at how well it will set you up for financial success. A big part of that calculus is how much moving between states could lower (or increase!) your tax bill.

HireAHelper’s latest study compares taxes on income, sales, and property in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We found that moving between states can have a big impact on your tax bill. If you were to move from the state with the least taxes to the most, for example, you’d owe around $7,760 more in taxes each year!

Key Findings

Tax Study
  • Where you choose to live could cost you up to $7,760 per year in additional local taxes. That’s the difference between the highest estimated state and local taxes in the District of Columbia, at $9,730, and Tennessee with $1,970.
  • Alaska has the lowest effective tax rate, with combined income, sales, and property taxes equal to 3.94% of a typical resident’s income. New York had the highest with an 11.93%, a effective local tax rate. That’s a gap of 7.99 percentage points in tax liability.
  • Across all 50 states, the average local tax bill was $4,066. This includes an average income tax of $1,655, property taxes of $1,538, and $873 in sales taxes. The average effective local tax rate is 8.2% of income.
  • State income taxes are the biggest indicator of local tax burdens. Of the 10 states with the lowest tax bills, eight levy no state income tax on earned income: Tennessee, Nevada, Florida, South Dakota, Alaska, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
  • By contrast, the highest state income tax burdens were found in Washington D.C., at $4,781; Oregon, at $3,724; and Hawaii, at $3,272. Oregon also had the highest effective state income tax rate, at 7.30%, followed by Hawaii at 6.29%.

Where Total State and Local Tax Bills Are the Lowest

The very first statistic you should know about is “total taxes”. We made an interactive heat map with the total combined tax burden of each state’s income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes.

The total state tax cost in each state

If you want a low tax bill, a smart strategy to get one might be to move to one of the nine states that levy no state tax on earned income:

  • Alaska
  • Florida
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Washington
  • Wyoming

Among these states, New Hampshire is the only one that didn’t land among the 10 with the lowest total tax burdens. That’s no surprise, consider that of the three types of taxes we looked at, the average state income tax bill was the highest. With income taxes costing more, it’s also where locals stand to save the most.

Here are the 10 states that had the lowest dollar-for-dollar tax burdens:

  1. Tennessee: $1,970
  2. Nevada: $2,002
  3. South Dakota: $2,112
  4. Florida: $2,131
  5. Alaska: $2,274
  6. North Dakota: $2,617
  7. Texas: $2,859
  8. Washington: $2,886
  9. Louisiana: $3,027
  10. Wyoming: $3,095

Where State Taxes Are the Lowest, Compared to Wages

But that’s simply the total tax costs. Here’s an interactive map with the average effective tax rates, which means each state’s income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes compared against the state’s average annual wage.

The effective state tax rate by state

We calculated the effective local tax rate, or the total tax burden as a percentage of the average wage in that state, to get a more complete picture of living expenses, due to outside factors that affect the cost of living.

For example, lower local wages would keep income taxes down. And low property taxes could be the result of a state real estate market with lower costs of living and property values.

Here are the 10 state where incomes are the highest, compared to their total state taxes:

  1. Alaska: 3.94%
  2. Nevada: 4.45%
  3. Tennessee: 4.52%
  4. Florida: 4.76%
  5. Washington: 5.02%
  6. South Dakota: 5.18%
  7. North Dakota: 5.44%
  8. Texas: 5.87%
  9. New Hampshire: 6.10%
  10. Delaware: 6.11%

The Top and Bottom State Income Taxes

Tax Study

As stated in the last section, unsurprisingly the top states tend to be those that levy no income tax. All nine of these states tied for the No. 1 spot for the lowest state income taxes.

After these states, however, which offer low state income tax rates? Here are the 10 lowest tax rates levied in all 50 states.

Curious about the states with the highest effective income tax rates? Only three states managed to have total state income taxes that totaled more than $3,000—and had effective state income tax rates above 5% to match.

Washington D.C. has the largest state income tax bills, dollar-for-dollar—but these are offset somewhat by higher local wages. Oregon, on the other hand, has some of the steepest tax rates that sets an effective tax rate of 7.30% on the state’s average wage.

Here’s a look at the 10 states with the highest effective state income tax rates:

  • District of Columbia: $4,781
  • Oregon: $3,724
  • Hawaii: $3,272
  • New York: $2,985
  • Massachusetts: $2,943
  • Connecticut: $2,818
  • Virginia: $2,620
  • Minnesota: $2,527
  • Colorado: $2,503
  • Illinois: $2,495

Top States With the Lowest Sales Taxes

Four states levy no sales taxes: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. Alaska is also the only one of these states where a local and municipal sales tax is charged; in the others, there’s no sales tax at the state or local level.  

Here are the top 10 states with the lowest average combined state and local sales taxes:

  1. Delaware: 0%
  2. Montana: 0%
  3. New Hampshire: 0%
  4. Oregon: 0%
  5. Alaska: 1.43%
  6. Hawaii: 4.41%
  7. Wyoming: 5.36%
  8. Wisconsin: 5.44%
  9. Maine: 5.50%
  10. Virginia: 5.65%

You’ll need to watch for higher sales taxes in some states, however. The highest state and local sales tax rates are found in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Tennessee’s average combined state and local sales tax rate is 9.47%, while Louisiana’s is just behind at 9.46%, and Arkansas levies an average 9.43% sales tax.

The States With the Lowest Property Taxes Per Capita

But what if you’re planning to become a homeowner (or buy property) in you destination state? Property taxes might be a top concern. Comparing property taxes fills in the picture of what your tax burden could be in a given state, and can help you anticipate how much they’d add to your housing costs.

Here are the 10 states where the property taxes per capita are the lowest:

  1. Alabama: $548
  2. Oklahoma: $699
  3. Arkansas: $712
  4. New Mexico: $768
  5. Kentucky: $775
  6. Tennessee: $836
  7. Delaware: $860
  8. Louisiana: $887
  9. West Virginia: $915
  10. Idaho: $944

Property taxes are highest in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. These are the only three states where the collected property taxes per capita top $3,000.

New Hampshire also happens to be the only state that levies no state income or sales taxes, which means that it carries low tax burdens despite high property taxes. But for New Jersey and D.C. residents, these high property taxes pile onto high income and sales taxes from their states, too.

Full Rankings of State Tax Burdens

Tax Study

Moving is always a lot of work—but planning a long-distance move can be particularly back- and budget-breaking. Check out the differences in the taxes you pay now and the taxes you’d pay in your state destination. You’ll know whether you can expect to come out ahead or will have more tax costs to plan for after a move.

See exactly where your state ranks inside the full rankings of all tax burdens by state. You can sort the table by clicking column headers.

Methodology and Sources

HireAHelper surveyed state income taxes, state and local sales taxes, and property taxes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to estimate the total tax burden for a typical resident.
State income taxes were calculated based on each state’s mean wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, using SmartAsset’s income tax calculator.
Sales taxes were calculated based on the average combined and local sales tax rates in state, as reported by the Tax Foundation in a January 2019 Report,  and assuming a spend rate of 27.5% of the state’s mean wage.
Property taxes were sourced from the Tax Foundation’s State & Local Property Tax Collections per Capita, FY 2016. The Tax Foundation calculated these amounts by averaging out property tax revenue collected in each state across the state’s population, to get a per capita property tax.
We calculated and added up the tax burden in each state according to the above, to find the total bill for income, property, and sales taxes. Effective tax rates were calculated as each state’s total state taxes as a percentage of the local mean wage, per BLS data.
Header illustration by Marlowe Dobbe

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