2026 moving trends report: Where are Americans looking to move right now?
After a brief fall, mortgage rates are right back up and affordability concerns are locking many in place, despite the current “buyers market.”
Yet, there are still those who are pulling the relocation trigger, or hoping to. They’re aiming for buyer-friendly states (with jobs) and suburban enclaves where a mortgage won’t break the bank.
MoveBuddha examined 78,000 searches made in the first three months of 2026, using its moving cost calculator to uncover the moving trends shaping 2026, so far.
Here’s what the findings show.
Spring 2026 Moving Trends:
- Idaho is the #1 state for moves in early 2026, with way more searches for moves into the state than out (2.05 in-to-out move ratio). It’s the first time the state ratio has been higher than 2.0 since 2020.
- The surprise growth story of 2025? The Mountain West states are seeing a rise of interest, led by Montana, with +42 percentage points since 2025, Idaho (+36), Arizona (+27), and New Mexico (+27).
- Florida earns the highest volume of inbound demand, 26% net inbound searches, followed by North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, and Arizona. The top five states account for 70% of net inbound demand.
- Movers are quitting dense Northeastern states at the highest rates, with Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Nebraska, and Massachusetts all seeing some of the highest numbers of searches for moves out versus in.
- Moving to #1 Myrtle Beach isn’t slowing down, and it’s not the only high-inbound retiree-friendly city shaped by tourism and hospitality, there’s also St. Augustine, Ocala, The Villages, Kissimmee, and Wilmington.
- Places with strong local culture, real university influence, and outdoor appeal are drawing attention, too, namely Boulder, Bellingham, Fort Collins, and Portland.
- Exodus cities span regions nationwide, but it’s California’s Bakersfield and Riverside with the lowest interest for inbound moves: ~40 searches for moves into the city for every 100 out. Layoffs may play a role, with recent WARN activity showing substantial layoffs across several top exit regions.
I. Moving trends by state: 2026’s most popular states
Nationwide, which states are attracting interest from prospective movers at the highest rates in 2026?
MoveBuddha search data was analyzed, and the rate of searches for moves into a state versus out of a state was compared to uncover 2026’s most popular states to move to this year, so far.
The most popular state in early 2026 is an old favorite, Idaho
Idaho was a 2020 move-to darling, and it’s back in the spotlight. Since its high of 320 searches in for every 100 out six years ago, the state has taken a backseat to the headliners. It’s not that move-ins stopped. In fact, the state has maintained positive inflow and sustained a steady rise of interest year after year.
And the proof is in the pudding. New U.S. Census data shows that 80% of Idaho counties grew their populations in 2025 and Idaho was among the top ranked inbound states of 2025 with a survey from United Van Lines showing family as the #1 driver.
One reason may be increasing Californian exits. A California Policy Lab analysis found that in the last five years net moves from California to Idaho increased over the last five years and that for each Idahoan that moves to the Golden State, it receives more than two in return. MoveBuddha data backs that inflow story; of searches made early in 2026, 24% of moves to Idaho were from California. Additional analysis found that housing costs are a driving factor.
Sunbelt states are still relocation darlings, even if #2 South Carolina (2.01) has dropped from the top spot this quarter. Neighboring states #5 North Carolina (1.63) and #7 Tennessee (1.46) also consistently rake in significantly more searches for moves in versus out.
Here are the most popular states that people are moving to in 2026, so far:
In which states is moving demand rising in 2026?
Only 19 of 50 states gained ground year over year in net inbound move searches.
The Mountain West is making a comeback, home to the top two states with the largest increases in move-in-to-out ratios: Montana (+42%) and Idaho (+26%). Arizona and New Mexico also land in the top five.
Together, these states signal a broadening of demand beyond the South’s perennial magnets, as movers look for affordability and overlooked alternatives.
The states with the highest net volume of searches for moves in: Florida
When it comes to total net inbound volume, though, the big states still dominate, but who’s winning?
The five states with the highest net volume of searches for moves in: Florida leads with 26% of all net inbound searches, followed by North Carolina (16.2%), Texas (13.1%), South Carolina (10.1%), and Arizona (6.9%).
Together, these five states account for nearly 70% of all net inbound moving demand.
II. 2026’s least popular states to move to
The bottom 10 is dominated by the Northeast. For outbound moves, densely populated Northeastern states dominate the least popular destinations, with many more people looking to leave than relocate there.
Least popular states of 2026
Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania all rank among the least popular states for inbound moves in 2026.
California is still there but no longer is it of note for being the top exodus state, instead it’s now the biggest non-Northeastern exception.
In addition to being densely populated, they face affordability challenges in an America struggling with persistent inflation and pay that hasn’t kept up. Particularly affected are states like New Jersey and Connecticut, which have some of the highest property taxes, deal with exorbitant real estate and rent prices, and increasingly see corporate headquarters leave the state, taking jobs with them.
III. Which cities are especially popular to move to in 2026?
Movers are still favoring Sunbelt cities in 2026. Six of the top 10 cities are in the Carolinas and Florida, with the rest spread across the Northwest, New England, and the Rockies.
At the top is Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which draws 2.41 inbound moves for every one outbound.
Top cities to move to in 2026
Here are the top cities people are moving to in 2026:
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is #1 for drawing in way more moves in than out so far in early 2026.
Movers continue to flock to smaller cities where their daily lives are even more human-sized.
It’s a noticeable trend in recent years: a steady interest in midsized cities and smaller metropolitan areas that offer a balance of economic opportunities and quality of life.
Nearly half of this year’s top inbound cities are familiar retirement-friendly destinations. Myrtle Beach, St. Augustine, Ocala, Kissimmee, The Villages, and Wilmington all reflect that ongoing demand for places shaped by warm weather, hospitality, and accessible living.
Bellingham, Portland, Fort Collins, and Boulder, reflect a different story: They are all cities with strong local culture, outdoor access, and a livable pace that feels more sustainable than larger urban centers.
Whether moving to retiree-friendly coastal markets or culture-rich hubs in the Rockies and Pacific Northwest, 88% of U.S.-based respondents want to save money if they move this year (2026 moving survey). And these places are likely where housing is cheaper, bills are lower and day-to-day life is less expensive than wherever they’re leaving.
Exit cities of 2026
2026’s outflow map spreads across the nation.
Sure, this year’s top two exit cities are in California, but the rest range from the mid-Atlantic to the Midwest, the Northeast, and even the South.
At the top of the outbound list sits Bakersfield, California (0.38 move in-to-out ratio), followed closely by Riverside, California (0.42).
In the mid-Atlantic cities like Virginia’s Arlington and Norfolk, as well as Maryland’s Baltimore, are seeing high outbound interest. In the Northeast, it’s New Haven, Connecticut. Even a Southern city shows up: Fayetteville, North Carolina.
These cities are struggling to retain residents despite seven of the 10 offering home costs on average under $400,000, signaling that affordability alone no longer guarantees an inflow.
Recent WARN activity (Q1 2026) adds another layer to the outflow picture, though in several cases the available data reflects broader county or statewide regions rather than the city alone.
In Bakersfield and Riverside, the correlation is strongest. Layoffs are likely not the whole story, but the pattern suggests that job market stress may be a contributing factor. Overall, the cities losing people tend to see limited growth or fading opportunity.
2026’s Trending Moving Destinations: Americans Choose
Despite rising housing costs and economic uncertainty, Americans haven’t stopped wanting to move. But their moves are more calculated, shaped by affordability, job stability, lifestyle choices and a growing willingness to consider places beyond the usual favorites.
Even still, America’s dream move to state is still Florida drawing 26% of all net inbound searches because it offers something rare right now: no state income tax, warm weather, and housing markets across the state that still present a viable path to ownership for middle-income buyers.
Idaho and the broader Mountain West are climbing fast because they offer the same affordability-and-outdoors combination that the Sunbelt has long sold, but with less competition and lower price tags than those markets now carry.
While retirement-friendly destinations like Myrtle Beach, St. Augustine, and The Villages keep winning because for people on a fixed income or winding down their careers, the value equation (low costs, warm climate, established hospitality infrastructure) is simply hard to beat anywhere else in the country.
Methodology and Sources
MoveBuddha proprietary data was collected from Jan. 1, 2020 through March 27, 2026, to analyze move trends. The data comes directly from the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator.
In-to-out ratio: MoveBuddha relied primarily on the in-to-out ratio equation in its analysis to see which cities are earning more residents by searches for moves in than losing them via searches for moves out: [Number of queries for moves in] ÷ [Number of queries for moves out] = [in-to-out ratio].
This story was produced by moveBuddha and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
