Americans are still flocking to Sun Belt states, but at a much slower pace than in previous years, according to new U.S. Census data.
All of the top destinations — Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida — saw a significant drop in domestic migration for the year ending July 1, 2024. To track state-to-state migration trends, the U.S. Census Bureau used data from the American Community Survey and anonymized IRS address changes.
Meanwhile, states that have consistently had a net loss of residents, such as New York and California, saw fewer people leaving — suggesting that fewer Americans are moving overall.
New York experienced a net loss of 176,893 residents for the year ending July 1, 2023 , which fell to 120,917 for the following year. California experienced a similar decline, with net losses dropping from 344,029 to 239,575 during the same periods.
Here’s a look at the states with the highest net influx of residents from other states between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024.
- Texas: 85,267
- North Carolina: 82,288
- South Carolina: 68,043
- Florida: 64,017
- Tennessee: 48,476
- Arizona: 34,902
- Alabama: 26,028
- Georgia: 25,321
- Nevada: 16,853
- Idaho: 16,383
- Oklahoma: 14,036
Among these states, all except Nevada and Idaho experienced fewer incoming residents than the previous year. Notably, migration to Texas, Florida and Georgia was halved or more, compared with the previous year, highlighting a significant slowdown in these traditionally high-growth states.
A real estate hotspot in 2021 and 2022, Florida has cooled down the most in the previous two years, with its influx dropping from 314,467 to 85,267 residents.
Why people are moving less
The broader trend of decelerating migration across states is largely attributed to a slowdown in the housing market, driven by persistently high homeownership costs.
Elevated 30-year mortgage rates, which remained above 6% for the 12-month period ending July 1, 2024, have discouraged both buyers and sellers.
This has reinforced a “lock-in effect,” where homeowners with lower rates are reluctant to list their properties, resulting in reduced inventory. Consequently, renters are also moving less frequently.
Fewer people moving has been a decades-long trend too, driven by an aging population, delayed milestones like marriage, and home prices that have grown twice as much as incomes since 1985.
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