Key Takeaways
- 35% of Americans say they plan to move in 2025, but historical trends suggest only 8-9% will actually relocate.
- 1 in 4 respondents planning a move say they’ll head out of state and 4% are planning on moving to another country.
- Northeastern residents who are planning a move are 50% more likely than Westerners to move out of state in 2025.
- Florida is the most desired state to move to in 2025, with residents in three of four U.S. regions naming it as the state they’d most like to move to.
- 1 in 3 Americans want to live in the suburbs — the most popular living environment.
- 87% reported that a lower cost of living and housing affordability would motivate them to move.
Despite a decades-long decline in relocations, the desire to move is alive and well.
To understand the disconnect between aspirations and reality, we surveyed a representative sample of 1,250 Americans about their plans to move in 2025.
Our findings reveal that moving remains a key part of the American Dream, driven by the search for better lifestyles, more affordable living, and financial stability. However, as migration rates continue to fall, fewer Americans than ever are successfully turning their moving dreams into reality.
Table of Contents:
1 in 3 respondents plan to move in 2025
Florida is the most desired state for relocation
Suburbs are the most sought-after living environment
Affordability and quality of life drive moving decisions
Fewer Americans are turning moving dreams into reality
Key Takeaways
- 35% of Americans say they plan to move in 2025, but historical trends suggest only 8-9% will actually relocate.
- 1 in 4 respondents planning a move say they’ll head out of state and 4% are planning on moving to another country.
- Northeastern residents who are planning a move are 50% more likely than Westerners to move out of state in 2025.
- Florida is the most desired state to move to in 2025, with residents in three of four U.S. regions naming it as the state they’d most like to move to.
- 1 in 3 Americans want to live in the suburbs — the most popular living environment.
- 87% reported that a lower cost of living and housing affordability would motivate them to move.
Dream vs. Reality: Over 1 in 3 Respondents Want to Relocate in 2025 (But Fewer than One-Tenth of Them Will)
Of 1,250 respondents surveyed, as many as 35% reported that they are planning a move in 2025.
Of course, this is a survey about moving intent and is not equivalent to real moves.
Once the year has passed, the real rate of moves will, in all likelihood, be closer to 8 or 9% in keeping with the decades-long development of decreasing migration.
Click here to view the full survey