United Van Lines has published its 49th Annual National Movers Study, highlighting changes in migration trends across the United States. The study shows that more people continue to leave New Jersey than any other state, with a 62% outbound migration rate for the eighth consecutive year. In contrast, Oregon leads as the top inbound state, with 65% of moves into the state.
The report notes that migration decisions are now influenced mainly by the desire to be closer to family and job opportunities. Oregon’s popularity is attributed to growth in its tech and healthcare sectors and a lower cost of living in cities like Springfield, which is near Eugene and Portland. Eugene-Springfield recorded an 85% inbound move rate.
New Jersey, while losing many retirees due to affordability and lifestyle preferences, is attracting younger professionals and families who view it as a “launch state.” According to United Van Lines data, 21% of inbound moves to New Jersey were from individuals aged 18-34 seeking career opportunities.
Michael A. Stoll, economist and professor at UCLA’s Department of Public Policy, commented on these shifts: “For most Americans, interstate relocation is no longer a linear calculation, it’s a complex decision balancing multiple competing factors. It is interesting to see that in general, population movement continues from North/Midwest regions to Southern states – and again top inbound locations dominated by smaller to medium size metro areas. This reflects a legacy of COVID-era preferences for lower-density living, combined with the reality that housing costs continue to drive people toward more affordable regions.”
The survey found that being closer to family (29%) was the leading reason for moving interstate, followed by job-related reasons (26%). Eily Cummings, vice president of corporate communications at United Van Lines said: “The data reveals Americans are seeking a different pace of life, and destinations like Oregon, the Carolinas and the south are delivering it. While our total number of residential moves is similar to 2024, we’re seeing much greater complexity in why people move and increasingly divergent migration patterns across age groups.”
Other states with high rates of inbound moves include West Virginia (62%) and South Carolina (61%). Cities such as Wilmington, NC (83%) and Dover, DE (79%) also saw strong inbound activity.
Meanwhile, Northeast states continued to experience significant outbound movement. New York had a 58% outbound rate; California matched this figure. Among cities with high departures were Hagerstown, MD (88%), Nassau-Suffolk in New York (78%), and Pueblo in Colorado (74%).
Some states showed nearly equal levels of people moving in and out; Illinois reached balanced status for the first time in over ten years. Traditionally popular Southern states like Texas and Florida are now seeing balanced migration as well due partly to rising housing costs.
United Van Lines has been tracking these trends since 1977 using household move data within the contiguous United States plus Washington D.C., categorizing states as “high inbound,” “high outbound,” or “balanced” based on percentages from at least 250 household moves per state.
Vermont had the highest overall percentage of inbound moves but did not meet the threshold for inclusion in ranking calculations because fewer than 250 families moved through United Van Lines there.
