More Than Half of Moves Are Driven by Housing, With Affordability Behind 1 in 10 Relocations

Whether seeking better-quality homes, lower costs, or simply moving out on their own for the first time, housing remains the top reason Americans relocate. In fact, more than half of all moves are driven by housing needs and preferences, with the desire for a new or better home being the top motivator.

To find out what makes people move in the U.S., we analyzed IPUMS CPS data for 107 metro areas. Our research shows the share of people who changed homes for specific reasons grouped into three main categories: housing, job and lifestyle. In this article, we are focusing on the housing component, the most important motivator for those who change their address.

Specifically, in 2023, about 13 million Americans moved for housing-related reasons, out of the 24 million total who relocated that year — the lowest number in the last 25 years. Furthermore, 15% moved to find an improved home, likely seeking more space and a more comfortable place to live. While this share is slightly lower than pre-pandemic levels, wanting new or better housing is still the top reason people move.

Next, establishing an independent household was the second most common reason in the housing category, cited by 10.3% of movers. However, this trend appears less prevalent than in the last decade, even as solo renting becomes increasingly popular.

Also, nearly 10% of relocations were driven by the need for cheaper housing, which is unsurprising given record-high home prices. In fact, the share of this category of movers hasn’t been this high since 2011, when the economy was still recovering from the Great Recession. Looking closer, the root cause appears to be the disparity between income growth and the rise in home values over the last decade or so.

Moving for homeownership is less popular

Despite the sky-high home prices, more than 7% of movers sought homeownership, showing that this is still a goal people move for. Still, it’s less common than right after the pandemic or back in the early 2000s, when the real estate market was extremely active. At the time, the share of Americans who moved to own a home peaked at 11%.

Finally, almost 6% of Americans moved to find a better neighborhood, often a first step towards a better quality of life. More people sought better living after 2020, which coincided with the growth of high-paying tech jobs. Higher incomes allowed more people to focus on improved living conditions.

Where are Americans moving for better housing?

Since housing is the top reason Americans move, which are the top destinations for those relocating to find a better home? Long story short, big cities attract the most movers seeking improved housing.

For example, Chicago has the highest share of people moving for new or better housing, at 27.2%. Additionally, major hubs like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston are also in the top 10, each with shares close to 21%. This makes sense because these three are also in the top 20 metro areas for new apartments opened in 2024.

Zooming out, the Midwest stands out as a popular region because it offers a good mix of affordable living and quality housing. This is clear from the number of Americans choosing Midwestern metro areas when moving for new or better housing. Besides Chicago, Akron, OH; and Kansas City, MO, are second and third on our list of top metros for better housing with 25.9% and 22.3%, respectively. Remote work has helped boost this trend, allowing people to move to less expensive areas without changing jobs.

California is a leading choice for affordability-driven moves

Costs have influenced more and more moves in the U.S. in recent years. But where are these movers finding relief? The West Coast, it seems. Specifically, California metro areas are popular for people seeking cheaper housing. For example, 22% of those who moved to Modesto, CA, in 2022* did so for more affordable homes. Stockton, CA, is next with 19.2%, while Fresno, CA, is sixth with 16.7%. These California destinations all have much lower housing costs than the state average and are close to Sacramento, CA; San Francisco; and Silicon Valley.

Also, Southern cities, like McAllen, TX; Memphis, TN; Myrtle Beach, SC; and Deltona, FL, are among the top metro areas people moved to for cheaper housing. Speaking of affordability, the region is preferred by movers who want to switch from renting to owning a home. In fact, Southern locations have the highest percentages of people moving to own a home rather than rent. Greensboro, NC, tops the list, with one-third of all movers in 2022 switching from renting to owning. Lakeland, FL, is second with 21.1%.

Southern metro areas like Winston-Salem, NC; Durham, NC; Lexington, KY; and Knoxville, TN, are also in the top 10. These places seem to have a winning combination for attracting renters: affordable housing, job opportunities, economic growth, and plenty of leisure activities.

East Coast metros are preferred for independent living, quality of life

The coastal lifestyle has maintained its appeal for those setting out to live on their own. Specifically, the Northeast seems especially popular. For instance, Albany, NY, has the highest share of Americans moving to live on their own (25.6%), while Buffalo, NY, is fourth with 19.7%. Both cities have a good number of young residents and a median age below the national average but Albany has the youngest movers: The median age there is 32, while the national median age for movers is 39.

At the same time, East Coast hubs are shining as top destinations for Americans looking to upgrade their quality of life. Therefore, Scranton, PA, is the top metro area for people seeking a better neighborhood. Almost 40% of those who moved there did so for a more desirable area, with better amenities and services. Scranton is popular with renters because of its many parks and comfortable living environment. Buffalo, NY, is second with 27.8% of movers, while Grand Rapids, MI, is a close third. Both locations attract new residents thanks to an appealing mix of affordability and job opportunities.

Browse our table to find your metro area:

Explore more data on other reasons for moving, along with a detailed breakdown of our methodology, in the full report.

*For the local sections focusing on metropolitan areas, the most recent and comprehensive data sets available were from 2022. Additionally, for accuracy and comprehensiveness, we used the five-year averages to estimate 2022 values.