Each year, Allied Van Lines conducts a U.S. Migrations Report to determine where people are moving to and from. 2023 and 2024 were down years for the moving industry as a whole, with fewer people moving due to high interest rates, high home prices, and an uncertain job market. 2024 relocations were down another 7% over 2023. One trend that did stand out was the movement towards midsize cities, particularly in the lower-cost-of-living Southeastern states.

Inbound and Outbound Moves

Comparing inbound vs. outbound states is always very insightful. Being an “inbound” state means more people are moving into the state vs. out of the state, with the opposite being “outbound” states where people are moving from the inbound state to the outbound state. The Top 5 inbound states were, in order: North Carolina (62 %), South Carolina (61%), Tennessee (61%), Georgia (54%), and Virginia (54%). The Carolinas and Tennessee made the Top 5 list for the last 3 years. The Top 5 outbound states were: Illinois (62%), California (59%), Pennsylvania (57%), Washington (56%), and Colorado (54%) with Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, and Washington having made the Top 5 outbound states for the last 3 years.  As far as the inbound cities, the Top 5, in order, were: Charlotte, NC, Greenville, NC, Raleigh, NC, Nashville, TN, and Dallas, TX. The Top 5 outbound cities were Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, and Seattle, WA.

Migration Changes

One thing that has greatly influenced migration, as to where people are moving to is the post-Covid remote work. Expensive areas, areas with the highest median home values saw a population decline, such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco’s Bay Area. Conversely, areas with more affordable housing, or areas considered to be vacation destinations experienced unprecedented growth due to remote or hybrid workers. Let’s see if this trend is slowed by the expected return to work orders in 2025.

When Do People Move?

Something that hasn’t changed with people relocating is the time of year that they move. End-of-week moves are more popular, as Friday is the top day of the week, followed by Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The allure of long weekend moves and less disruption to professional and personal routines continues to be a deciding factor. Also, because of the desire to avoid lesser professional and personal disruption, the busiest time of year by far continues to be the May through August time frame. June is the # 1 choice, followed by July, then May and August.

How Do You Calculate The Cost of a Move?

The cost factors that affect the price remain the same:

  • Size of your home: Pricing is based on the weight and quantity of the items moved. The larger the home usually equals more expense, and the less equals less.
  • Distance moving: The more miles you move, the more the expense is.
  • Time of year: The economics of supply and demand at its finest. The pricing level is higher in the very busy May through August period, and less in the “off-season” months, when there is less demand (fewer people moving ).

Long Distance Moving Company

Are you one of the many people that is moving from Chicago? Detroit? Los Angeles? As a top-rated Allenton long distance mover, O'Brien's Moving and Storage is here to help! We specialize in helping make your cross-country move successful and smooth. Some of our top routes include: