Moving Trends | Where Are People Moving to in 2024? - PODS Blog (2024)

Sure, this year’s report is full of fan favorites, but it’s also full of city-level surprises and insight into the moving trends to watch in the coming year. Utilizing this information from our PODS moving data, we’ll talk about what region is seeing the biggest uptick in new move-ins and why, and we’ll explain how even though the housing inventory is filling up and housing prices are slowly beginning to come back down to pre-pandemic numbers, we can’t quite call it a buyer’s market just yet. We’ll also uncover the biggest common denominator across our most moved-out of states in 2024 and dive into why people are relocating to some of the most moved-to cities of 2024.

Before we dive into all the details, though, here’s a quick look at our key moving trend takeaways.

Last year, Florida claimed half of the top 10 spots on our list. This year, that stat goes to a rising dynamic duo: North and South Carolina. We see Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, climbing six spots to come in 4th on our list, while North Carolina’s Charlotte, Raleigh, and Asheville made equally notable gains into the top 10 after ranking below 15th in 2023.

Even more impressive? The Myrtle Beach, SC/Wilmington, NC, area holds onto its crown as the number one most moved-to city for the second year in a row — a PODS moving trends first!

Why the love toward the Carolinas? Aside from offering residents a low cost of living, access to the outdoors, and a solid quality of life, it’s possible the rise in popularity of these two states is part of a larger moving trend we’re seeing centered around the Southern Appalachian region. States within this region — Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama, and South Carolina — are home to the overwhelming majority of this year’s most moved-to locations and are among some of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. We’ll take a deeper look into this trend later.

Returning outliers on our frequent flyer list include Portland (ME), Boise, and Phoenix. All three cities continue to make gains in 2024. Portland (ME) is inching up the list, moving up one spot into 12th. Boise, the number one city back in 2021, seems to be taking a steady route back up increments of four, coming in 11th this year after ranking 15th last year and 19th in 2022. Phoenix makes the biggest jump from 18th last year to 7th this year. We’ve mentioned before that these cities make for popular moves with retirees, so we aren’t surprised to see that our data shows the majority of people moving here are over 65 years old (closely followed by movers between 55 and 64 years old). As a growing number of Baby Boomers begin to reach retirement age, it’s also not surprising these destinations are repeat rankers.

Quite a few new-from-last-year cities made their debut, including Atlanta, GA; Johnson City, TN; Huntsville, AL; Dover, DE; and Greensboro, NC. Last year’s newcomers Savannah, GA, and Raleigh, NC, made reappearances, with Raleigh making one of the largest leaps we’ve seen, moving up 14 spots from 20th to 6th.

Here’s a full breakdown of the top 20 cities in the U.S. that have seen the most growth, with their position on our list from last year in parenthesis.

Cities With the Highest Number of Move-Ins Ranked

Florida Loses Its Stronghold As the Most Popular State for Move-Ins

Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville all made it into our top-10 list of most moved-to cities.

The Carolinas Are Seeing Notable New Resident Numbers

Los Angeles maintains its number one spot on our list of cities with the highest move-out numbers.

Where Are People Moving From? Cities With the Highest Move-Out Numbers

Cities With the Highest Number of Move-Outs Ranked

California continues to lead the pack with the largest out-migration numbers, according to the latest PODS data. The number of California cities on our top 20 move-out list has increased from six to seven, and four California markets rank in the top 10, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Stockton-Modesto. The various locations of these cities point to the fact that this is a statewide exodus.

Los Angeles and San Francisco are no strangers to our list by now. These two major cities continue to occupy the number one and number two spots for the third year in a row. This is the first time Fresno and Bakersfield have appeared on our list, though.

The Golden State has a reputation for imposing high sales, income, and property taxes. The cost of living is approximately 50 percent higher in California than the national average, and housing costs can be prohibitive. For example, home values in California have increased 6.4 percent over the last year, more than 2 percent above the national average, according to Zillow. And the national average cost for a rental in the U.S. is around $1,725 for a one-bedroom apartment, but it reaches an average of $2,525 in California, $3,275 in San Francisco, and $2,700 in Los Angeles, according to RentCafe data.

Additionally, California’s congested cities and rising rates of crime and homelessness may also be contributing factors, pushing people who are searching for more affordable cities with better access to nature and fewer crowds to make the move to areas with somewhat comparable arts, culture, and food scenes. How many people are moving out of California, specifically? In 2020, the state’s population loss was enough to cost it a congressional seat. And although population loss has lessened, it was still at a net loss of over 91,000 people in 2023.

Austin, TX, is new to the ranks this year. During the pandemic, this Texan darling saw unprecedented growth, as tech companies and residents flocked to the booming city. When the city didn’t even scratch the top 20 of most moved-to cities last year, we had a feeling it might point to the end of this era.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Austin is reporting a decline in net migration for the first time in two decades. The main reason? Declining affordability, being priced out of housing, and a lack of space for new builds are being cited as leading factors. Moving to Texas doesn’t come with the same top-tier benefits it once did.

In addition to Austin, Fresno, and Bakersfield, three more cities are making first-time appearances on the list this year, including Boston, Portland (OR), and Minneapolis. Boston’s appearance on the list seems to be another by-product of Massachusetts’ rising cost of living. The state is in the upper top five nationally when it comes to cost of living, median home prices, tax rates, and rent prices — and Boston is leading the charge.

Factors contributing to an exodus from the remaining newbie cities are likely driven primarily by safety concerns, as each of these cities struggles with high, above-average, and growing crime rates. On top of this, Portland (OR) struggles with an overwhelming population of unhoused residents, open use of hard drugs, and one of the highest tax rates in the country (despite having no sales tax). Similarly, crime levels in Minneapolis are compounded with soaring housing costs and high tax rates.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index went up 3.5 percent over the last year, from March 2023 to March 2024. The consumer price index tracks the cost of goods over several markets and is often used as a gauge for inflation. In May 2024, the Federal Reserve announced that it will keep key interest rates at the current 20-year high of roughly 5.3 percent — blaming the rate stagnation on ongoing inflation.

The housing market is affected by inflation and interest rates, and the effects of high interest rates and rising costs of living will likely steer the housing market even further throughout the year. Inventory is already growing in several states. Moody Analytics reports that housing prices have already fallen in nearly half of U.S. states, citing the struggles buyers are having with securing an affordable mortgage.

With interest rates at a standstill but the cost of living rising, we’re expecting to see notable rises in city rental costs. Although housing prices may continue to lower to a buyer’s market, the high interest rates will continue to make it difficult for many homebuyers to secure a mortgage. The result? The rental market is going to take off in many cities as fewer people are able to purchase homes, increasing the demand for rentals.

While we may not be able to predict how this year’s housing market will turn out, we know you can always count on PODS to help make your move as straightforward as possible. Find out how PODS can make your move easier from start to finish with our three convenient container sizes, built-in storage options, flexible scheduling, and pay-as-you-go pricing. Need some help in the meantime? Check out the PODS Blog for moving tips, tricks, and hacks.