2023 Migration Patterns Study

2023 Migration Patterns Study: Where is America Moving?

According to the annual Atlas® Van Lines Migration Patterns Study—marking its 30th edition since 1993 when Atlas® began publishing its findings that track moving habits and preferences based on internal data—Americans are once again on the move in 2023 following several years of unprecedented and unpredictable changes in the economy, housing, and job markets.

Atlas Van Lines’ statistics correlate with national data such as high inbound rates to hot housing markets in Maine and New Hampshire, as well as states that are good for business, including Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington. However, many of the country’s most affordable states have seen high rates of outbound moves, particularly in the Midwest, such as Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Ohio.

Hawaii was once again a sought-after destination this year, with 77% of the shipments being inbound.

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound and outbound moves in 2023 are included below in order of highest inbound and highest outbound rates.

What States Are Most Americans Moving To?

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of inbound moves in 2023 were:

2023 Top 10 Inbound
1. Maine
2. North Carolina
3. New Hampshire
4. Montana
5. Washington
6. Arkansas
7. Florida
8. New Mexico
9. District of Columbia
10. Texas

North Carolina and Maine remain top-desired states from 2022 with New Hampshire making the largest jump from 10th to third.

What States Are Most Americans Moving Away From?

The 10 U.S. states with the highest percentage of outbound moves in 2023 were:

2023 Top 10 Outbound
1. Illinois
2. Pennsylvania
3. Louisiana
4. Minnesota
5. Indiana
6. Oregon
7. Iowa
8. Mississippi
9. New York
10. Ohio

Pennsylvania’s rate of outbound moves dramatically increased in 2023, as did Oregon’s. Meanwhile, the exodus from Indiana has seemed to slow, although it remains high on the outbound list.

Are Americans Moving Internationally?

In 2023, Atlas® World Group International reported the following trends in overseas relocation:

2023 Top 10 Inbound	2023 Top 10 Outbound
1. Japan	1. Japan
2. South Korea	2. South Korea
3. Germany	3. Kuwait
4. United Kingdom	4. Germany
5. Bahrain	5. Saudi Arabia
6. Australia	6. Puerto Rico
7. Canada	7. Greece
8. Kuwait	8. India
9. India	9. Denmark
10. Jordan	10. United Kingdom

Canadian Provinces

Per Atlas® Van Lines Canada data, more people are moving from the southern provinces to the northern provinces. The top three inbound provinces were Newfoundland, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories, whereas the top three outbound provinces were Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, and Alberta.

How Status Is Determined

Each state or province’s 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. International moves indicate both states and countries to which Atlas® World Group International sent the most shipments from international origin countries in 2023.

To view the full results of the 2023 Migration Patterns Study, along with a nationwide map, regional trends, and historical data, download our media kit.