2025 Migration Patterns Study

2025 Migration Patterns Study: Affordability a Top Factor Influencing Moves

Conducted annually since 1993, the Migration Patterns Study measures Atlas customers’ interstate, interprovince, and international moves. This year’s study measures relocations from Nov. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2025, to gauge where people moved from and where they moved to.

In 2025, Atlas’ interstate moves held steady compared to years past, aligning with recent U.S. Census data. Despite this, overall mobility remains low today, primarily due to affordability constraints such as the high cost of homeownership and limited inventory. The continued volume of interstate moves, even as the median age of first-time homebuyers climbs and home sales slow, highlights the industry's role as a consistent facilitator of necessary life and professional transitions amidst challenging market conditions.

The Migration Patterns Study shows a wide spread of inbound and outbound states. In the southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee ranked high on the inbound list.

What States Are Most Americans Moving To?

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound moves in 2025 were:

2025 Top 10 Inbound
1. Arkansas
2. Idaho
3. North Carolina
4. Hawaii
5. Washington, D.C.
6. Tennessee
7. Washington
8. Alabama
9. North Dakota
10. New Hampshire

 

What States Are Most Americans Moving Away From?

The U.S. states with the highest percentage of outbound moves in 2025 were:

2025 Top Outbound
1. Louisiana
2. West Virginia
3. Wyoming
4. Delaware
5. Nebraska
6. Arizona
7. Iowa
8. Oklahoma
9. South Dakota
10. South Carolina

In the Great Plains, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming saw some of the highest rates of outbound moves, with Sioux Falls, South Dakota, recording the most by city. However, the leading outbound state was Louisiana for the second year in a row.

Notably, three of the five outbound states from 2024 have moved to a balanced position: California, Illinois, and New York. This reflects the widespread “lock-in effect,” in which many homeowners are choosing not to move at all.

Are Americans Moving Internationally?

In 2025, Atlas® World Group International reported the following trends in overseas relocation:

2025 Top 10 Inbound	2025 Top 10 Outbound
1. India	1. Bangladesh
2. France	2. Tanzania
3. Canada	3. Cambodia
4. Turkey	4. Mexico
5. Spain	5. Pakistan
6. Thailand	6. Indonesia
7. Senegal	7. Estonia
8. Philippines	8. China
9. Vietnam	9. Greece
10. Belgium	10. Macedonia

Canadian Provinces

Per Atlas® Van Lines Canada data, Canadians generally moved to more northern, coastal provinces from the central provinces. The top four inbound were New Brunswick, Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alberta, whereas the top three outbound were Quebec, Manitoba, and Ontario.

How Status Is Determined

Each state’s, province’s, and country’s inbound/outbound status is determined by its threshold value, which is the total number of shipments multiplied by 0.55 (i.e., in a state with 100 moves, at least 55 must be outgoing to be considered outbound). All other states or provinces in which outbound or inbound numbers do not exceed the threshold are classified as balanced. Canadian interprovincial and cross-border (from the U.S. to Canada) shipments are both referenced in the study.

To view the full results of the 2025 Migration Patterns Study, along with a nationwide map, regional trends, and historical data, download our media kit.

Moving Trends Across 30 Years

The video below provides a glance at the past 30 years of Atlas migration patterns. Take a look!