Americans are packing up and heading to warmer, cheaper cities, with new data revealing where people are flocking to — and the places they can’t escape from fast enough.
The South continues to dominate as the nation’s top relocation hotspot, according to a new report from PODS Moving and Storage.
The region led for move-ins last year, and it’s on track to do the same in 2025.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, top this year’s list of most popular move-in destinations.
The area’s warm weather, relaxed lifestyle, and relatively low cost of living make it a magnet for retirees and families alike.
Other East Coast standouts in the top 10 include Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina, as well as Greenville-Spartanburg in South Carolina.
Ocala, Florida — a small city of 63,000 known for its thoroughbred farms and scenic forests — ranked second nationwide.
Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, made a surprise leap to fifth place, after failing to crack the top 10 last year.
Wilmington, North Carolina has seen the highest number of move-ins so far this year
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina joined with Wilmington to welcome the most new residents
Experts say the city’s strong job market, mild winters, and affordability are behind the surge.
The data shows a ‘desire for warmer climates, lower costs of living, and a greater focus on balance and quality of life,’ Rich Schwartz of PODS said of this year’s report.
‘While the Southeast continues to dominate the top of the list, we are seeing areas across the south, like Dallas-Fort Worth, making big moves.’
Californian saw three of its cities in the top 10 places with the most move-outs this year.
Los Angeles topped the list, followed by the San Francisco area in second and San Diego in fifth.
Los Angeles has been battered by the devastating wildfires earlier this year, and residents now also face rising home insurance costs.
The East Coast also took a battering with Long Island in New York seeing the fourth biggest loss of residents this year. Also in New York the Hudson Valley north of Manhattan also made the top 10.
Central Jersey in New Jersey and Boston, Massachusetts ranked 6th and eight respectively.
Los Angeles saw the biggest loss of residents in the first few months of the the year
San Francisco, with its downtown struggles and sky-high house prices, came in second
Meanwhile, there are increasing fears that the US property market could crash.
In fact, realtors warned last week that South Florida’s pandemic property boom has officially reversed.
After years of surging demand due to the pandemic real estate boom, the region’s real estate market is flooded with listings as desperate homeowners rush to sell amid soaring costs and vanishing buyers.
According to a new report from Cotality, the number of homes for sale across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties has quadrupled since 2022 — hitting the highest level in nearly a decade.
