U.S. Moving Trends and Workplace Connections
The results are in from United Van Lines’ annual movers study. Here is Hilldrup’s take on how these trends align with national workforce trends.
The Annual United Van Lines National Movers Study is a powerful tool in the residential moving and employee mobility space. When paired with other key national reports and indexes, this study adds a new lens to where people are moving to and from – and why.
United Van Lines 2025 National Movers Study Findings
This year’s survey revealed that Oregon has an inbound migration of 65%, rising up from No. 8 to the No. 1 spot in just one year thanks to a booming job market in the tech and healthcare sectors. Conversely, for the eighth consecutive year, New Jersey was the top outbound state, with 62% outbound migration due to affordability concerns, retirement and lifestyle changes.
Outside of the Pacific Northwest, the survey showed inbound migration patterns that were weighed towards more southern regions. People are also choosing more rural destinations opposed to major cities, with Eugene-Springfield, OR, Wilmington, NC and Dover, DE rising to the top of the inbound moving list.
“For most Americans, interstate relocation is no longer a linear calculation, it’s a complex decision balancing multiple competing factors,” Michael A. Stoll, Economist and Professor in The Department of Public Policy at The University of California, Los Angeles said in a press release about the results. “It is interesting to see that in general, population movement continues from North/Midwest regions to Southern states – and again top inbound locations dominated by smaller to medium size metro areas.”
While the United Van Lines survey doesn’t explore the myriad of factors that contribute to someone’s move behavior, we’ve curated a series of reports that may help explain the latest trends.
Workplace and Economic Trends
When you look at two national reports, CNBC’s annual Top States for Business in America rankings and a cost-of-living index developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), there are some fascinating correlations to be made between the states with the most inbound moves, and the ones with higher outbound migration rates.
States with the Highest Volume of Inbound Moves
Oregon, West Virginia, South Carolina, Delaware, Minnesota, Idaho and North Carolina top the list of inbound moves. Notice anything glaring here? People aren’t moving to big city markets: no New York City, Atlanta, Chicago or Washington, D.C. in sight. Why are people moving to these states? Here’s what we found.
| States | Major Employers | Supporting Data Points |
| Oregon | Nike, Columbia Sportswear, KinderCare Education, Daimler Trucks North America | Oregon is home to a surprising number of national companies and brands. On CNBC’s list, it didn’t have the best ranking overall, but it was ranked No. 14 for both its Infrastructure and Technology/Innovation. The Eugene-Springfield area is about two hours south of Portland, which may be a sign of rural retreat (most Oregon corporations are based in Portland, but unfortunately Portland’s cost-of-living costs are 16% above the national average. |
| West Virginia | WesBanco, Gabe’s, American Public University System, Toyota | While West Virginia may not be the best place for business headquarters, it may be a destination for a more virtual workforce. According to BEA’s data, it has some of the best cost-of-living measures in the country, and it did rank No. 15 for Business Friendliness. Business and economic trends aside, for the ski crowds that don’t want to move to the northeast – maybe the great outdoors is calling. |
| South Carolina | Michelin, BlueCross BlueShield, Sonoco, Denny’s, BMW | A market near and dear to our hearts, South Carolina ranked No. 18 overall on CNBC’s list, but had higher marks for its Economy and Workforce. Cost-of-living rates also signal affordable living for residents. |
| Delaware | DuPont, AstraZeneca, WSFS Bank | On both BEA and CNBC’s list, Delaware was in the middle of the bank on business and cost-of-living rankings. It did, however, take the No. 4 spot in CNBC’s Economy category. |
| Minnesota | General Mills, Target, UnitedHealth, 3M, Hormel Foods, Best Buy | Another state with a surprising list of major national organizations. In addition to having a surplus of employers, cost of living is right at the national average and Minnesota ranks No. 10 overall on CNBC’s list. It scored incredibly high marks in the Infrastructure and Quality of Life categories. |
| Idaho | Albertsons, Micron Technology, J.R. Simplot | With an affordable cost of living, Idaho was also in the middle of the CNBC list for Best States for Business, but it ranked No. 7 for its economy. |
| North Carolina | Bank of America, Truist, Lowe’s, Food Lion, Duke Energy, Belk, LabCorp, SAS Institute | What we think is a contender for the “Silicon Valley of the East Coast” title, North Carolina has an affordable cost of living and is currently holding the CNBC title for Best State for Business (it scored particularly well in categories like Economy, Workforce and Business Friendliness). But if you ask us, it’s the southern hospitality and biscuits that people are coming for. |
States with the Highest Volume of Outbound Moves
New Jersey, New York, California, North Dakota, Colorado, Mississippi and Massachusetts were the bottom states on United Van Lines annual list, signaling a higher exodus out of these states. In its report, United Van Lines found that people are primarily moving to be closer to family, they’re transferring to another job or they’ve retired.
“Again top inbound locations dominated by smaller to medium size metro areas,” said Stoll. “This reflects a legacy of COVID-era preferences for lower-density living, combined with the reality that housing costs continue to drive people toward more affordable regions.”
What did we find comparing these states to those previously referenced CNBC and BEA findings? Perhaps some additional factors for moving away.
| States | Supporting Data Points |
| New Jersey | While New Jersey was in the middle of CNBC’s list at No. 30, it unfortunately took home the bronze prize for having the highest cost of living (which was 9% higher than the national average). |
| New York | The number of companies based in or with offices in New York is likely hard to quantity, and that checks out: New York was overall No. 5 on CNBC’s list. But, its scores in the Workforce category were shocking, ranking No. 44 in the country. Unsurprisingly, it also has a higher cost of living, about 8% over the national average. |
| California | Heavy is the crown, right? According to BEA, California is the most expensive state to live, with cost-of-living being 13% higher than the national average. It ranks No. 22 as Best States for Business, getting dinged for Cost of Doing Business and Business Friendliness. But the silver lining? It takes the No. 1 spot for Technology/Innovation thanks to the real Silicon Valley. |
| North Dakota | North Dakota is smack dab in the middle of the CNBC list, but it did rank No. 1 for Business Friendliness) and had a strong Quality of Life. Where it faltered was in its Economy, Infrastructure and Workforce scores. |
| Colorado | Ranking just outside of the Top Ten on CNBC’s list, Colorado had middle-to-low marks for its Economy and Cost of Doing Business measures. From a cost-of-living perspective, it has higher cost of living compared to other regions. |
| Mississippi | The good news about Mississippi is that cost of living is 13% lower than the national average. The bad news about Mississippi is that it ranks No. 45 on CNBC’s list. It also ranks almost dead last (No. 49) in the Workforce category. |
| Massachusetts | In recent months, there has been a rise in unemployment claims, with layoffs impacting major employes like Mass General Brigham, Wayfair, Meta and more. Thanks to the major Boston market, the state also has one of the higher cost of living rates. CNBC ranked it No. 49 in the Cost of Doing Business category. |
Employee Mobility in the United States
Just because a state you do business in is in the list, doesn’t make or break anything. It’s a signal – a warning flag if you will – of trends the state as a whole is experiencing. These are the kinds of reports and studies economic development organizations are watching, and business organizations consider when deciding their RTO or remote workforce policies, HQ2 and office location decisions and more.
At its core, employee relocation is about more than movement on a map and Hilldrup is here to help. Contact us today and explore how Hilldrup can support an upcoming employee relocation by exploring our menu of services here.
