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HireAHelper U.S. Migration Study Shows 2023 Had Fewest Number of Moves Nationwide Since the 1940s

By: HireAHelper via Business Wire

January 09, 2024 at 14:37 PM EST

People priced out of relocation; Oklahoma tops in the US with net +40% gain of people moving in; California sees the largest net loss; Chicago is the nation’s top moving destination by total volume; 3 Florida cities now rival The Villages

The online moving marketplace HireAHelper, a Porch Group (NASDAQ: PRCH) company, today announced the findings of its sixth annual U.S. migration study. The study examines over 75,000 moving jobs booked in the United States in 2023 and identifies where the biggest shifts in state and city population have occurred, and dissects what is America’s most dormant migratory year since the 1940s.

According to the study, 9% fewer people moved in 2023 compared to 2022. The 25.6 million Americans who moved in 2023 constitute 7.8% of the population, which is the lowest percentage of relocators ever recorded.

The nationwide study identified several socio-economic factors impacting American migration, such as “Lower cost of living”, “Cheaper rent”, and “Inflation” - which factored into 15% of all moves in 2023. Reasons such as “Moving in with family” and “Being closer to family” were also identified by roughly 30% of people moving over the last year. According to HireAHelper, 9% of people in the “sandwich generation” (people “sandwiched” between taking care of their kids and their aging parents) reported that parents aged 65 years or older moved in with them sometime during 2023.

“The latest moving data suggests that over the last year, the U.S. has been a nation in stagnation,” said Miranda Marquit, Consumer Advocate and Spokesperson at HireAHelper. “People are being priced out of relocation due to rising interest rates, inflation, and household debt. The data shows that Americans are facing a new economic reality that has restricted their mobility and has them nesting down. And for those that did move, a greater number were in search of more affordable living arrangements compared to 2022.”

Other noteworthy findings from the study identified the U.S. locations that saw large gains and loss in population, in terms of total volume and in net moves.

Key findings include:

The states with the greatest net gain of new residents are Oklahoma (+40%), South Carolina (+35%), and Tennessee (+35%).
States with the greatest losses in residents are California (-44%), New Jersey (-42%), and Louisiana (-31%).
Two cities in Florida - Wesley Chapel, FL and Ocala, FL - had twice as many people move in than out in 2023 (+106%) and topped the charts as cities with the largest net gain in terms of moving.
Two cities in the Miami metro area are among the 10 with the greatest net losses, they are Hollywood, FL (-58%) and Fort Lauderdale, FL (-50%).
The city with the largest net loss in moves is Baton Rouge, LA, as 63% more people left the city in 2023 than moved in.
By sheer number of people, Chicago was the number one most moved to city in 2023. Right behind Chicago for most people moving in during 2023 were Denver, CO, Austin, TX, and Las Vegas, NV.
Split up by state, New Hampshire ($557), New Mexico ($536) and Alabama ($532) saw the highest moving cost averages in 2023. Alternatively, moving was cheapest in the District of Columbia ($328), Nevada ($330) and Texas ($341).

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

How was the 2023 Moving Migration study conducted?

HireAHelper's 2023-24 Migration Study analyzed over 75,000 local and long-distance moves in the U.S. that were booked in 2023 through HireAHelper.com and its partner sites and affiliates, including SimpleMovingLabor and MovingPlace.

Other sources used in the study are:

- 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, as available via IPUMS

- HireAHelper customer survey carried out in November 2023 (TBC 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:

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

Comparisons of net gains and losses only include states with at least 100 in- or out-moves and cities with at least 50 in- or out-moves.

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.