Two States Stand Out When It Comes to Where Americans Want to Move and Where They’re Most Eager to Leave
One state draws almost two would-be residents for every person trying to leave. Another sits at the opposite end of the same scale, where clearly more people are searching for the exit than for the front door. Both positions come from the searches of people actively pricing out a move, and both have sat at their respective ends for years. The two states are 1.34 points apart, the widest spread in the entire ranking.
Moving Calculator Searches From 2020 to Oct. 1, 2025 Rank Every State on One Ratio
The ranking comes from MoveBuddha, a moving research company that tracked searches on its Moving Cost Calculator from 2020 through Oct. 1, 2025. Researchers divided searches for moves into each state by searches for moves out, producing what they call an in-to-out ratio. A score above 1.00 means more people want in than out. The figures track planned moves, and most states land within a few tenths of 1.00. A handful land nowhere near it.
Arkansas, Alabama, South Dakota and Delaware Anchor the Bottom of the Top 10
The list of favorites opens at No. 10 with Arkansas, followed by Alabama at No. 9, South Dakota at No. 8 and Delaware at No. 7. Delaware also ranks sixth nationally for population growth, at 0.9% in 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates. South Dakota carries a different distinction: MoveBuddha forecasts its inbound interest will climb faster than any other state’s through 2026. Above this group sits the biggest single-year leap in the data.
Alaska Leaps From 13th to 4th While Idaho Lands at No. 3
Maine takes No. 6 and Tennessee No. 5. Alaska lands at No. 4 after ranking 13th a year earlier, a jump MoveBuddha connects to remote work and a growing preference for lifestyle over big-city career ladders. Idaho follows at No. 3, and Census estimates agree: it grew 1.4% in 2025, the second-fastest rate in the country. Only two states remain above it, and they share a border.
North Carolina Scores 1.61 and Adds About 145,900 Residents in One Year
North Carolina takes the No. 2 spot with an in-to-out ratio of 1.61, and MoveBuddha logged more net searches for moves into it than into any other state. Census estimates show the state added about 145,900 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, a 1.3% jump that ranks third nationally. Only one state sits above it, and that state lies directly to the south.
South Carolina Tops the List at 1.97 and Adds 79,958 Residents in One Year
South Carolina takes the top spot with a ratio of 1.97, almost two searches to move in for every one to move out. The Census Bureau named it the nation’s fastest-growing state for 2025: the population rose by 79,958, or 1.5%, and net migration from other states supplied 66,622 of those new residents. MoveBuddha’s year-end update lists South Carolina as the top destination for a third straight year. The pull is strongest in a few specific places.
Myrtle Beach Posts a 3.28 Ratio, the Highest of Any U.S. City in MoveBuddha’s Full-Year Report
Myrtle Beach leads every U.S. city in MoveBuddha’s full-year report, with 3.28 searches to move in for every one to move out. Retirees drive much of the surge: the share of South Carolinians 65 and older rose from 13.75% in 2010 to 19.36% in 2024. Jasper County, on the Georgia border, was the fastest-growing county in the country. Charleston, the state’s best-known city, gained just 632 residents in the Census estimate, a number the city disputes.
Charleston County Needs 36,000 New Housing Units by 2033 as South Carolina’s Growth Outpaces Supply
Growth comes with a bill. Charleston County officials say the area needs 36,000 new housing units by 2033 to keep pace with demand. A University of South Carolina research professor points to a decade of underbuilding, made worse by population growth. Taxes soften the blow: one Census-based analysis puts the state’s effective property tax rate at 0.438%, among the lowest in the nation. At the opposite extreme of the ranking sits the most populous state in the country.
California’s 0.63 Ratio Is the Lowest in the Nation, and Census Data Shows a Net Loss of Nearly 230,000 Residents
California holds the lowest ratio at 0.63, roughly 63 searches to move in for every 100 to move out. Census data shows a net loss of nearly 230,000 residents to other states in 2025, the most of any state. California’s median home price reached $916,750 in the second quarter of 2026, more than double the national $434,900, according to the California Association of Realtors. Another state sits one hundredth of a point away.
A $10,570 Average Tax Bill in New Jersey Points to the Cost Divide Behind the Ranking
Search data measures intent, yet the population counts agree with it: South Carolina grew faster than any state in 2025, while California’s population slipped by 9,465. Cost explains much of the divide. New Jersey, a hundredth of a point from California, averaged a property tax bill of $10,570 in 2025, the highest in the country, while Connecticut and New York also show more people looking out than in. Where the bill is lower, the line of arrivals is longer.