Location & Route Shipping
Where Americans Are Moving in 2026: Migration Data and Trends
Americans are moving toward the Sun Belt and the Southeast and away from high-cost coastal states. By net domestic migration, the states that gained the most residents from interstate moves in 2025 were North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona, while California and New York lost the most. This is a pattern that has held for several years, driven by affordability, remote work, and tax policy.
More than 41% of Americans say they plan to move in 2026, according to American Home Shield's 2026 State of Moving Forecast Survey [5]. This article pulls the latest US relocation trends 2026 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, moveBuddha, PODS, and the Tax Foundation to show where people are moving in the United States, why, and what those domestic migration trends mean for car shipping demand.
Key US Relocation Trends 2026 Statistics
- 41% of Americans intend to move in 2026 [5]
- Interstate moves fell about 3% from 2024 to 2025 [6]
- Roughly 8 in 10 moves stay within the same state [4]
- 80% of the top move-to markets in 2026 are in the Sun Belt [4]
Rank
Top States by Net Domestic Migration
These are the states that gained the most residents from state-to-state moves in the year ending July 2025, per U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
| Attribute | State | Net Domestic Migration (2025) | Primary Draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | 84,064 | Job growth, Research Triangle, lower housing costs |
| 2 | Texas | 67,299 | Job market, no income tax, affordability |
| 3 | South Carolina | 66,622 | Coastal affordability, lower taxes |
| 4 | Tennessee | 42,389 | No income tax, lower cost of living |
| 5 | Arizona | 31,107 | Sun Belt appeal, moderate housing costs |
| 6 | Georgia | 27,333 | Job market, suburban growth |
| 7 | Alabama | 23,358 | Affordability, aerospace and defense jobs |
| 8 | Florida | 22,517 | No income tax, warm weather |
| 9 | Idaho | 19,915 | Outdoor lifestyle, tech sector |
| 10 | Nevada | 14,914 | Lower costs than neighboring California |
- 1
- State: North Carolina
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 84,064
- Primary Draw: Job growth, Research Triangle, lower housing costs
- 2
- State: Texas
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 67,299
- Primary Draw: Job market, no income tax, affordability
- 3
- State: South Carolina
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 66,622
- Primary Draw: Coastal affordability, lower taxes
- 4
- State: Tennessee
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 42,389
- Primary Draw: No income tax, lower cost of living
- 5
- State: Arizona
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 31,107
- Primary Draw: Sun Belt appeal, moderate housing costs
- 6
- State: Georgia
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 27,333
- Primary Draw: Job market, suburban growth
- 7
- State: Alabama
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 23,358
- Primary Draw: Affordability, aerospace and defense jobs
- 8
- State: Florida
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 22,517
- Primary Draw: No income tax, warm weather
- 9
- State: Idaho
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 19,915
- Primary Draw: Outdoor lifestyle, tech sector
- 10
- State: Nevada
- Net Domestic Migration (2025): 14,914
- Primary Draw: Lower costs than neighboring California
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, net domestic migration for the year ending July 1, 2025 [1].
Net domestic migration is the number of people who moved into a state from elsewhere in the United States minus the number who left for other states. It excludes international arrivals and the natural change from births and deaths, so it isolates one thing: where Americans are choosing to resettle within the country.
That’s why this ranking looks different from lists of the fastest-growing or most populous states, since a state can keep growing due to international migration or a high birth rate while still losing residents to other states. Every state at the top of the net domestic migration list sits in the South or Mountain West, drawn by lower taxes and lower housing costs than the coastal markets losing residents.
Where the Momentum Is Heading
Census data measures moves that already happened. Search demand shows where interest is building next, and moveBuddha's 2026 tracking, based on moving-cost-calculator searches, points in the same general direction with a few twists.
South Carolina has ranked as the most searched destination state by in-to-out ratio for three years running, drawing just under two inbound searches for every one outbound [3]. Florida is surging fastest: its in-to-out ratio is up 35 percentage points since 2025, it leads all states in total inbound search demand, and The Villages tops every city nationally at 3.58 inbound searches per outbound [2]. The Mountain West is climbing too, with New Mexico (+24), Arizona (+21), and Montana (+15) posting the largest ratio gains [2]. Together, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee account for roughly 73% of net inbound search demand [2].
The two datasets diverge sharply on Florida. It ranks only eighth in completed net domestic migration, and its 2025 gain is a fraction of the 183,000 it drew in 2023, yet it still leads every state in search interest, a sign that intent to move there is running well ahead of moves actually completed.
Why Are Americans Moving in 2026?
Affordability leads. The American Home Shield forecast found most movers weighing cost of living heavily, with a majority seeking a location that balances affordability and lifestyle [5]. Home prices and rents in coastal metros keep pushing buyers toward markets where ownership is still within reach.
Remote work widened the field of people who can choose where to live. Stanford's WFH Research puts remote work at about a quarter of U.S. paid workdays in early 2026, freeing many workers to pick a location by cost and climate rather than commute [8].
Tax policy pulls retirees and high earners alike. Florida, Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, and Wyoming levy no state personal income tax, and four of those five rank among the ten states with the highest net domestic migration in 2025: Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and Nevada [1]. The Tax Foundation's own analysis points the same way, finding that of the 25 states with the most competitive tax structures in its 2025 Index, 20 recorded net inbound migration [7].
Quality of life rounds out the picture, with climate, outdoor access, and proximity to family carrying real weight, especially for movers 55 and older.
States and Cities Americans Are Leaving
The outbound picture is just as consistent. California lost the most residents to other states in 2025, a net domestic decline of 229,077, followed by New York at 137,586, with Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts next [1]. High housing costs are commonly cited as a major driver of these outflows.
Search data adds a wrinkle. moveBuddha's tracking now ranks Connecticut, not California, as the top exit state by search ratio, a reminder that the Northeast's outbound pressure is intensifying even as California still leads by raw volume [2]. Most people who leave relocate within their broader region, but the longest moves, coast to coast and north to south, are the ones that reshape vehicle transport demand.
Housing Migration, Vehicle Transport, and the AutoStar Connection
When a household relocates across state lines, it faces a vehicle logistics decision, and for long hauls driving is often the least practical option. The single largest interstate migration flow in the country runs from California to Texas: roughly 77,000 moves a year across about 1,400 miles, a distance where the time and wear of driving usually exceed the cost of professional transport [9]. The same pattern holds across the busiest relocation lanes.
Migration Corridor
| Attribute | Approx. Distance | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|
| California to Texas | ~1,400 mi | Affordability, job market |
| California to Florida | ~2,700 mi | No income tax, climate |
| New York to Florida | ~1,280 mi | Retirement, no income tax |
| Illinois to Florida | ~1,380 mi | Cost of living, climate |
| Northeast to the Carolinas | 700 to 1,000 mi | Affordability, lifestyle |
- California to Texas
- Approx. Distance: ~1,400 mi
- Primary Driver: Affordability, job market
- California to Florida
- Approx. Distance: ~2,700 mi
- Primary Driver: No income tax, climate
- New York to Florida
- Approx. Distance: ~1,280 mi
- Primary Driver: Retirement, no income tax
- Illinois to Florida
- Approx. Distance: ~1,380 mi
- Primary Driver: Cost of living, climate
- Northeast to the Carolinas
- Approx. Distance: 700 to 1,000 mi
- Primary Driver: Affordability, lifestyle
Source: flow volume per U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 state-to-state migration; corridor distances approximate [9].
AutoStar Transport Express provides door-to-door vehicle shipping across all 50 states, plus Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, covering every corridor above. Its network includes more than 25,000 vetted, FMCSA-compliant carriers, and an AI-assisted routing system matches each shipment to the best available carrier by route, timing, and vehicle type. Both open and enclosed transport are available for every vehicle type, from standard sedans to luxury, classic, and oversized vehicles.
The data on where Americans are moving in 2026 points one direction: the South and Mountain West are gaining, high-cost coastal states are contracting, and the households that do move are traveling farther to get there. With 300,000 vehicles shipped since 2007 and 7,000+ verified reviews from customers who made moves just like these, AutoStar's record spans exactly the corridors where Americans are relocating in 2026.
If your own move follows one of these routes, planning vehicle transport early is worth it.
Speak with a coordinator.
Last updated: August 25, 2026
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates, net domestic migration for the year ending July 2025. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-kits/2026/national-state-population-estimates.html
- moveBuddha, "Moving Trends in 2026." movebuddha.com/blog/moving-trends/
- moveBuddha, 2025 to 2026 Migration Report. movebuddha.com/blog/migration-moving-report/
- PODS, "2026 Moving Report." https://www.pods.com/2026-moving-trends-report
- American Home Shield, "2026 State of Moving Forecast Survey." https://www.ahs.com/home-matters/homebuyer-hub-resources-and-guides/moving-forecast/
- Allied Van Lines, “2025 Magnet States Report.” https://www.allied.com/migration-map
- Tax Foundation, "2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index." https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/state/2026-state-tax-competitiveness-index/
- Stanford WFH Research, Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes. https://wfhresearch.com/data/
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 state-to-state migration flows. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/geographic-mobility/state-to-state-migration.html