The rate of Americans moving has been steadily declining since it peaked in 1985, when about 20% of the population packed up and relocated.
The pandemic may have led most people to rethink many aspects of daily life, but 2020 and 2021 continued the same pattern of net migration gain or loss for cities and suburban areas, according to Pew Research, and the overall number of people moving has continued to decline.
A study by United Van Lines revealed a decline in those who said they moved for a new job or job transfer, usually a leading reason for moving, and an increase in the number of people moving to be closer to family.
Research by Hire-a-Helper, a moving resources site, found that housing, employment (including retirement) and family were the biggest reasons Americans moved in 2021.
In 2021, about 26.4 million people, or 8% of the population in the U.S. moved, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While the pandemic has played a role, the study by Hire-a-Helper found that reasons cited for moving included: taking advantage of the pandemic housing market by either selling or buying a home, or being forced to move due to pandemic-related financial hardship or losing their job.
Of those places where moved last year, the states that had the biggest net migration were Arkansas, South Carolina, Maine, and Delaware, according to Hire-a-Helper’s 2021 annual migration report. States that saw more residents leave than move in were New Jersey, California, and Illinois.
To find the cities where most people moved to—those with the highest net migration— in 2021, Hire-a-Helper used their site data from over 90,000 moves, two customer surveys, and Census Bureau statistics. Only cities with 100 moves or more are included.
1. The Villages, Fla.
Net moves: +206.7%
2. Bradenton, Fla.
Net moves: +108.6%
3. New York City
Net moves: +86.4%
4. Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Net moves: +71.4%
5. Fort Myers, Fla.
Net moves: +65%
6. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Net moves: +63.8%
7. Wilmington, N.C.
Net moves: +59.3%
MicheleMidnight / Shutterstock
8. Cape Coral, Fla.
Net moves: +58.6%
9. Saint Augustine, Fla.
Net moves: +56.6%
10. Clarksville, Tenn.
Net moves: +47.8%
11. Sarasota, Fla.
Net moves: +44.6%
12. Knoxville, Tenn.
Net moves: +43.1%
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13. Naples, Fla.
Net moves: +42.4%
14. Port Saint Lucie, Fla.
Net moves: +41.2%
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15. Clearwater, Fla.
Net moves: +29.4%
16. Charleston, S.C.
Net moves: +29.3%
Photo: Shutterstock
17. Fort Mill, S.C.
Net moves: +29.3%
18. Ocala, Fla.
Net moves: +27.1%
19. Pensacola, Fla.
Net moves: +26.7%
20. Greenville, S.C.
Net moves: +24.1%
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21. Peoria, Ariz.
Net moves: +21.6%
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22. Vancouver, Wash.
Net moves: +21.3%
23. Boston
Net moves: +18.4%
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24. Mckinney, Texas
Net moves: +17.5%
25. Jacksonville, Fla.
Net moves: +16.9%
26. Gilbert, Ariz.
Net moves: +16.7%
27. Saint Petersburg, Fla.
Net moves: +16.4%
28. Salt Lake City, Utah
Net moves: +14%
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29. Madison, Wis.
Net moves: +13.8%
30. Katy, Texas
Net moves: +13.2%
