The survey also showed that moving remains a stressful and often regrettable experience for many
A new survey by luggage shipping service LugLess found that while most Americans haven’t moved in recent years, nearly a third expect to relocate in the next five years.
The 2025 State of Moving survey, which gathered insights from 1,012 US adults, found that 32% expect to move within the next five years. It also showed that moving remains a stressful and often regrettable experience for many.
“Nearly one in 10 would prefer an IRS audit and a concerning 10% confirmed they’d choose to break up with their partner than move again,” the report found.
In 2024, only 11% of Americans changed homes as rising housing costs and economic pressures made it tougher to relocate or make big life changes, according to US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Where and why Americans are moving
Most Americans who moved in the past five years didn’t go far: 47% relocated within their own city, while only 17% ventured out of state.
The top states people are leaving include Florida (10%) and California (7%), but these states remain popular destinations for future movers, with Florida topping the list at 13% for those planning a move in the next five years.
Cost of living pressures are the leading motivator, with 24% citing it as their primary reason for moving.
The Commerce Department reported that core personal consumption expenditures (PCE), which leaves out food and energy, rose 0.2% in August—matching expectations. Personal income grew by 0.4%, and consumer spending jumped 0.6%. The savings rate ticked up to 4.6%. Prices for goods rose 0.1%, services went up 0.3%, and housing costs increased 0.4%.
Other drivers of moving include proximity to family (22%) and dissatisfaction with their current city or state (17%). Political climate (6%) and difficult roommate situations (10%) also played a role for some respondents.
Meanwhile, more homeowners are choosing to move, even if it means losing their lower mortgage rate.
“Life doesn’t stand still—people get new jobs, grow their families, downsize after retirement, or simply want to live in a different neighborhood. Those needs are starting to outweigh the financial benefit of clinging to a rock-bottom mortgage rate. As a result, more homes are hitting the market than we’ve seen in years, giving buyers a wider range of choices,” Chen Zhao, Redfin’s head of economics research, said.
A new Redfin analysis found that nearly 20% of homeowners now have mortgage rates at or above 6%—the highest share since 2015. At the same time, just over half of homeowners have rates below 4%, down from almost two-thirds in early 2022.
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