Americans were migrating to the Sun Belt states in January, according to U.S. Census data, and that tendency continues, according to a new study by moveBuddha. The relocation technology company analyzed migration trends using private data acquired between 2020 and October 1, 2025. used the company’s moving cost calculator to determine the prices using an in-to-out ratio equation, which divides the number of queries to move in by the number of queries to move out.
According to the report, four of the top ten states where people want to move the most are in the South.
The promise that everyone has the freedom to live wherever they desire is the essence of the American ideal. Whether it’s a local move or a cross-continental migration, we’re all free to pack our belongings and go wherever our hearts choose.
And it may come as no surprise that Americans have recently been attracted south, enticed by warmer weather, larger homes, and more space, according to new Census Bureau statistics showing population patterns in counties across the country from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023.
This has been the case since the COVID-19 epidemic, and in 2023, high-priced coastal metropolis centers will continue to lose population, while expansive suburbs in Florida, Texas, and Arizona will have the highest growth.
Shrinking US States
In 2023, seven of the top ten fastest-shrinking counties in the US are in New York and California. Cook County, Illinois—the hub of Chicago’s metropolitan area—ranks second.
The shift toward suburban and semirural counties reflects a shift in what American home buyers want: more space, affordability, and a higher quality of life away from dense urban areas. This transition, which has been accelerated since the pandemic’s commencement, is clearly visible in the most recent Census Bureau data, with large shrinkage in key urban centers.
Los Angeles County leads the exodus, losing over 100,000 residents; Chicago’s Cook County, IL, and parts of New York City’s boroughs—Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens—are also experiencing significant drops.
According to the research, those wishing to leave New York City’s outer boroughs choose to live in regions further away from the city center. They are looking at Staten Island (Richmond County), Long Island (Suffolk and Nassau counties), the Hudson Valley north of New York City (Westchester County), and Fairfield County, Connecticut.
To be fair, relocating from Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Queens to locations outside of New York City has been and continues to be a predictable cycle, according to Jeff Stineback, founder and team leader of Compass Real Estate’s Long Island Home Team.According to moveBuddha, North Carolina is the second most popular state to move to. The state had a 1:61 in-to-out ratio. North Carolina also had the highest number of net searches in 2025 for people migrating to the state from other states.
Carrigan says North Carolina, like South Carolina, rated high due to the large number of retirees who continue to move there. Florida was a popular state to relocate to during the COVID-19 pandemic, but North Carolina remains cheaper, he says.
“North Carolina is still a strong candidate to move to, and it has a beautiful coast too,” according to him.