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California among states more people moved away from than anywhere else in 2025, data shows

By Daniel Miller
Published  January 2, 2026 1:18pm PST
Lifestyle
FOX Local
article

The Brief

    • New Jersey was the top state that Americans moved from in 2025.
    • Oregon ranked as the number one state that people moved to last year.
    • One of the main reasons people said they relocated to another state was being closer to their families, according to a United Van Lines report.

Relocating to a new state is a major step and people who decide to start fresh in a new location do so for distinct reasons, whether it’s a new job or lifestyle change. 

But in 2025, more Americans moved out of certain states at a higher rate compared to others. 

RELATED: These states have the most people in financial distress, study finds

In a recent study by United Van Lines, a large household goods moving company, the team found that last year, people moving to different places were primarily motivated by reasons including a desire to be closer to family (29%), a new job/company transfer (26%), and retirement (14%).

The company’s annual movers report is based on household moves within the 48 states and Washington, D.C. and ranks states based on data of "inbound" and "outbound" moves in each state. 

States where more Americans move out in 2025?

Dig deeper:

According to the report, United Van Lines defines states as "high inbound" if 55% or more of the moves are going into a state, "high outbound" if 55% or more of the moves were coming out of a state or "balanced" if the difference between inbound and outbound is slight.

RELATED: Best states for education in 2025

Here are the states that more people moved from last year:

  1. New Jersey
  2. New York
  3. California
  4. North Dakota
  5. Colorado
  6. Mississippi
  7. Massachusetts

What states did people move to the most 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

What they're saying:

"The data reveals Americans are seeking a different pace of life, and destinations like Oregon, the Carolinas and the south are delivering it," Eily Cummings, Vice President of Corporate Communications at United Van Lines said in a statement in the report. "While our total number of residential moves is similar to 2024, we’re seeing much greater complexity in why people move and increasingly divergent migration patterns across age groups."

The Source: Information for this story was provided by a United Van Lines annual report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 


 

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