The Most Popular Place to Move to in 2025 Is Not Where You’d Guess

The southeast is the place to be.

Marsh area — Credit:
Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images

Choosing a new state to live in is a big decision. To help make the choice easier, moveBuddha recently released its 2025 moving trends report, revealing where people in the U.S. are looking to move to right now.

According to the report, many are seeking affordability and access to nature when they relocate. The relocation services website examined 55,000 searches made in 2025 so far (from January 1 to March 10) to uncover the top moving trends.

The report found increasing interest in affordable mid-sized cities and low-density states like South Carolina, which the report ranked as the top state to move to in 2025. South Carolina received a 2.18 in-to-out ratio, meaning more than twice as many people searched for information on moving into the state versus out of it. The Palmetto State saw a 26 percent higher in-move interest compared to the next most popular state, Tennessee.

Other southern states like Alabama and Mississippi are also seeing relocation interest rise in 2025, according to the data. Overall, moveBuddha reports that areas with a lower cost of living, a temperate climate, and access to outdoor activities continue to see the most growth.

Along those same lines, small and mid-sized cities with ample affordable housing and outdoor recreation are coming out on top. For example, Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is the most popular city to move to so far in 2025, not Charleston, which is the state's largest city. Huntsville, Alabama, and Greenville, South Carolina, are number two and three, respectively, on the list of the top cities to move to this year.

Meanwhile, expensive areas continue to see more move-outs due in part to the high cost of living. Densely populated urban states like New Jersey and California are the least popular destinations, with more people looking to leave than relocate there.

According to the report, New York City has been the biggest exit city in the country so far this year, with more than twice as many searches for moves out as moves in. Rounding out the top five are Long Beach, California; Memphis, Tennessee; San Diego, California; and San Jose, California.