According to a study, Oregon was the most popular state for Americans to relocate to in 2025. After ranking eighth in 2024, the Beaver State rose to the top of the list with the highest percentage of inbound migration (65%).
Opportunities in the tech and health care sectors also made the state a top incoming destination for migrants looking for work (36%).
For the fifth time in ten years, Texas ranked as the top growth state in 2025. It finished second last year, behind South Carolina. Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee were also in the top five in 2025. Georgia, Alabama, Idaho, Arizona, and Washington are in the top ten. View the complete list below.
Why It’s Important
Since the epidemic, when the number of Americans moving across the nation increased due to the rise of remote work and a national homebuying frenzy, domestic migration—the movement of U.S. citizens across state lines—has considerably decreased.
According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), the rate of domestic relocation peaked in 2022 at 14.2 per 1,000. According to the most recent data available, this figure had decreased to 2.8 per 1,000 persons in 2024.
Where Americans Moved in 2025—and Where They Left
Although California, a neighboring state, was losing residents, it was still one of the top ten states in the West. At 57.8%, the Golden State had one of the lowest rates of inbound migration in the nation last year. The overall percentage of outward migration was high, at 42.2 percent, even though newcomers were still coming to the state.
New York, another pricey state with a booming labor market, was not doing much better on the other side of the nation. Last year, the state’s inbound and outgoing migration percentages were the same as those of California (42.2 percent and 57.8 percent, respectively).
The top 10 states where Americans moved to last year
1. Oregon
2. West Virginia
3. South Carolina
4. Delaware
5. Minnesota
6. Idaho
7. North Carolina
8. Arkansas
9. Alabama
10. Nevada
These figures were acquired by a survey based on home relocations managed by its parent firm, the UniGroup network, across the 48 contiguous states as well as Washington, D.C. The inbound and outbound percentages of all moves in each state were then used to rank the states.
States were categorized as “high outbound” if at least 55% of the moves were leaving the state, or “high inbound” if at least 55% of the moves were entering the state. If the discrepancy between inbound and outbound was minimal, they were considered “balanced.
People relocated to other states.
West Virginia, South Carolina, Delaware, Minnesota, Idaho, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, and Nevada were among the top moving destinations, according to United Van Lines’ data, in addition to Oregon. Nevada real estate agent Robert Little of Re/Max Advantage tells Realtor.com, “We continue to see a significant number of buyers relocating to Southern Nevada from out of state, and they make up the majority of our business today.” “What draws many of these clients to Nevada is the combination of financial and lifestyle advantages.”Along with a stable environment, minimal vulnerability to natural disasters, and comparatively cheaper homeowners insurance rates, Nevada also offers comparatively inexpensive property taxes when compared to many other luxury markets around the nation,” he continues.
There are many reasons why people move, but the most common ones are to be nearer to family, work transfers, or new job prospects. Retirement certainly plays a part, she says. “Households are often looking to optimize proximity to family, proximity to work, and proximity to desirable amenities, and any factor may take precedence in different phases of life.”