Work and Family Top Reasons for Moving According to Report

Fewer people moved last year compared to the previous year, according to the 2022 Allied U.S. Migration Report. In fact, 20% fewer Americans moved in 2022 than in 2021 and 2020.

Pennsylvania was one of the top five states to see more outbound moves. Sixty percent of moves in Pennsylvania were out of the state, according to the report. Illinois, California, New Jersey and Michigan also topped the outbound list.

The study showed suburbs were more popular than cities, with large cities having a difficult time attracting new residents. The top outbound cities in 2022 were New York, Anaheim, San Diego, Chicago and Riverside. In addition, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. also saw losses from outbound residents.

Housing prices and the pandemic, which led to more Americans working from home, both played a role in why they moved. Since many people no longer need to come into the office, many have chosen to live somewhere else. Prior to the pandemic, the average move was about 15 miles from their old homes. In 2022, consumers bought houses about 50 miles and greater from their previous homes.

Work and family still top the list as the reasons for moving. People want to live close to family. Weather and access to nature were smaller but significant factors as well.

The report shows summer was the most popular time to move, with June ranking No. 1, followed by July and August. The top day to move was Tuesday, followed by Wednesday and Friday.