Moving Statistics 2026

General moving statistics

There are approximately 16,851 moving companies in operation in the U.S. The industry directly employs about 114,240 workers and runs 50,000 moving trucks.

Select state-to-state migration, 2022

Notable state moves (including to and from) in highly populous states report large numbers of movers relocating from California to Texas, and New York to Florida.

In 2022, 53% of the 28.2 million moves were made within the same county. While this figure is still high, it dropped from 58% in 2021, and has been steadily declining over the past 10 years from 64% of Americans who moved within the same county in 2012. U.S. residents are increasingly moving within the same state, 24% in 2022, and 17% to different states.

During 2022, the moving rate in the U.S. was 8.7%, up from 8.4% in 2021, but down from 10.1% in 2018.

Types of moves

There are generally five types of moves:

• Residential local moves refer to household moves of less than 100 miles.
• Residential long-distance/interstate moves are between 100 and 400 miles within the same state, or they may be of a shorter distance across state lines.
• Military relocations involve moving military households from one duty station to another. These are often interstate or international moves, but they could be local as well.
• Corporate relocations move entire businesses which demand fast turnarounds so that a business can be back up and running as quickly as possible. These moves may include additional support, such as furniture assembly and organizational assistance.
• International relocation is a move from one country to another. These moves may include handling of goods by air or sea, dealing with customs procedures, and taking special tracking measures to prevent property loss. International moves can be residential or corporate.

Who moves the most?

Most movers are renters rather than homeowners, and a majority of movers have residences of two bedrooms or less.

• The average move in the U.S. is completed by a couple between the ages of 18 and 34 with one or two children.
• Moves made by individuals and families make up 44% of relocations in the U.S., with corporate moves following at 38%.
• Gen Z and millennials are more likely to relocate than members of other generations.
• In 2022, the migration rate for individuals moving within the same county was highest among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, totaling 9.2% of this demographic population, followed by 7.3% of Black or African Americans, and 6.8% of Hispanic Americans.
• In 2022, 235,000 Americans moved to retire (a 4% increase from 2021).
• Florida, North Carolina and Michigan are the three most popular states for retirement.

Move destinations and places of origin

With the post-pandemic increase in remote work, Americans are taking advantage of the lower cost of living in smaller cities and rural areas. Several cities and counties in states like Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma are even offering incentives to attract remote workers, such as relocation assistance, free coworking space memberships and sizable cash payments.

Most popular relocation destinations

Southern states are the most popular relocation destination according to the United States Census Bureau’s latest state population results comparing 2022 to 2023. As of July 1, 2023, compared to the previous year, Texas, Florida and North Carolina rank as the top three states for adding the most new residents. 

South Carolina, Florida and Texas ranked in the top three in terms of percent growth.

How far do people move?

Most moves (53.5%) occur within the same county, followed by moves within the same state (24.3%), moves to a different state (17.3%), and moves from abroad (4.9%).

Most young adults (six in 10) live within 10 miles of where they grew up, and eight in 10 live within 100 miles.

Why people move

Housing-related reasons, were cited by 41.6% of Americans as their primary motivations for moving in 2022, down from 45.7% in 2021.

In 2022, the percentage of Americans citing that wanting newer, better or larger houses or apartments trended down to 14.4% from 17.2% in 2021, as did those seeking a better neighborhood, from 6% to 4.7%. Individuals seeking to rent residences increased to 8.5% in 2022, from 7.5% in 2021.

All family-related moves increased from 24.6% in 2021 to 26.5% in 2022. In 2022, more Americans reported that they were moving to establish their own households, at 11.2%, up from 10.6% in 2021. Additionally, 6% moved due to a change in marital status, up from 4.8% in 2021.

Employment-related moves increased slightly in 2022 to 16% from 15.7% in 2021. While there was an increase in 2022 of Americans moving due to a new job or a transfer to 9.2% from 8.8% in 2021, this was nearly offset by a decline in U.S. residents moving for easier commutes, as well as those moving due to a lost job or to look for work.

Moving costs

Though relocation has never been cheap, it’s now getting even more expensive.

• The average cost of a local move is $560 to $1,000, while a long-distance move costs around $5,500.
• A DIY move will generally cost between $100 and $2,500.

Actual moving costs vary based on multiple factors, including:

• Weight of household goods
• Location
• Move distance
• Home size
• Seasonality
• Insurance coverage
• Fuel charges
• Environmental fees
• Additional services needed, like packing, navigating stairs, transporting large items, long-carry services and extra stops