US Migration Study from HireAHelper Finds 2022 was the Busiest Moving Year Over the Last Decade

January 31, 2023 at 07:00 AM EST

People are being evicted; Population at The Villages continues to boom; Vermont is the place to be; Was 2022 the year of coast-swapping?

The online moving marketplace HireAHelper, a Porch Group (NASDAQ: PRCH) company, today announced the findings of its fifth annual U.S. migration study. It examined over 107,000 moving jobs booked in the United States in 2022, identifying where the biggest shifts in population have occurred and brings into focus the busiest moving year of the last decade.

“It’s been a year filled with big changes, and the latest U.S. moving data reflects this narrative with more people relocating — and moving longer distances,” said Miranda Marquit, Chief Data Analyst at HireAHelper. “People are adjusting to economic or social circumstances, while others are shifting their career or lifestyle. Americans seem to be at an inflection point with many moving in response to adjusting to the post-pandemic era.”

This year’s migration study reveals nation-wide migration trends for 2022. Among the most noteworthy was the increase (+4%) in the total number of moves nationally. It’s the first time in a decade that the number has increased year-over-year. Americans are moving further than in years prior, as the share of cross-country moves is at a record high of 24%, while average moving distance in 2022 was 74 miles, up 44% compared to last year.

For the second consecutive year, The Villages, the age-restricted community in Sumter County, Florida, saw the largest net gain among U.S. cities; it had three times more people move in than out (+348%). State-wise, Vermont had 138% more people move in than out — the highest net gain of residents in all 50 states.

The study also provides insight on the lack of affordable housing in the United States, as approximately 15% of moves were motivated by cost of living and inflation, while 56% more people moved due to foreclosure or eviction in 2022 than the year before.

Key findings include:

National Trends

4% more people moved in 2022 than in 2021, the first time in a decade the share of movers has grown year-on-year
Around 15% of moves were motivated by cost of living and inflation
10% of Americans either moved or seriously considered leaving the country in 2022
56% more people moved due to foreclosure/eviction in 2022 than the year before
Reflecting high inflation, the cost of moving peaked at $454 in August 2022, 12% above its previous peak in July.

Geographical Trends

Vermont had the greatest net inflow of moves, as 138% more people moved to the state than left it
New Jersey lost the most residents, with 41.2% more people leaving the state than moving in
The Villages, FL topped city rankings for the second year in a row, with 348% more people moving there than leaving
Two Bay Area Cities had the greatest net outflow: San Jose, CA (-74%) and Oakland, CA (-58%)

How was the 2022-23 Moving Migration study conducted?

HireAHelper's 2022-23 Migration Study analyzed over 107,000 local and long-distance moving data in the U.S. booked in 2022 through HireAHelper.com and its partner sites and affiliates, including such as SimpleMovingLabor and MovingPlace.

Additional data sources include:

Migration/Geographic Mobility Data series by the U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and its Annual Social and Economic Supplements for 2022
HireAHelper customer survey carried out in December 2022 (2,275 respondents)

Six states (Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) were excluded in part, due to a lack of sufficiently representative data.

Net gains and losses in people moving in/out for both states and cities were calculated as the ratio of:

the number of people moving into the state or city, to
the number of people moving out of the state or city,
expressed as a percentage (%)

States and cities with fewer than 100 in- or out-moves were excluded from the net gain/loss calculation.

To access the study and all of its findings, please visit: https://www.hireahelper.com/moving-statistics/migration-report/

About HireAHelper

HireAHelper, part of the Porch Group collection of home improvement SAAS and consumer platforms, provides an online moving marketplace where consumers can instantly compare real-time quotes and availability from local movers to book a range of moving services, from Full-Service movers to hourly moving labor. Since 2007, HireAHelper has spearheaded the Hybrid™ Moving phenomenon, an alternative moving approach that blends the use of moving labor with do-it-yourself transportation, resulting in dramatic cost savings for consumers. For more information visit www.HireAHelper.com.