Housing News

Here Are the Top 3 States Attracting New Residents–and the 3 States Where People Are Leaving

February 16, 2026

Americans are still drawn to the lure of uprooting across the country…and Oregon is calling like a siren.

The Beaver State, along with the Southern states of West Virginia and North Carolina, attracted the most residents in 2025, according to a United Van Lines report

People are moving for affordability, to be closer to friends and family, and for school or new job opportunities, the report said.

“For many West Coast buyers, Oregon still feels like the best value,” said Erik Leland, a Realtor with Realty First based in Lake Oswego, Ore. “Clients coming from the Bay Area or Southern California often like to stay in the same time zone and social culture, but they’re burned out by the rising prices.”

On the flip side, pricier states like New Jersey, New York, and California continue to see the most departures. New Jersey gained young families, but lost retirees.

“High earners start weighing their tax burden against everyday quality of life,” said Leland. “Things like traffic, density, and stress are factors they're considering.”

The moving company only included states with at least 250 moves in 2025. Alaska and Hawaii were not included.

Why Oregon, West Virginia, and North Carolina are attracting new residents

Folks are flocking to Oregon for job growth, affordability, and, in some cases, a slower pace of life, according to the report.

About 2.8% of people moved to Oregon from a different state in the last year, according to data from the Census Bureau. This is compared to 2.1% of interstate moves in the country overall.

People are moving to the state for career opportunities in the health care and tech industries.

Oregon boasts no sales tax. And while the median home list price of $547,000 in December was higher than the national median of $399,950, it was lower than the price tags in Washington and California. The typical home cost $604,100 and $699,500 respectively in those states, according to Realtor.com data.

The top Southern states that people moved to feature more affordable homes. The median price of a home in West Virginia and North Carolina was $399,900 and $244,950, respectively, in December. That was below and just above the national median.

Many people are moving to these cheaper states because they can work remotely.

“Housing costs continue to drive people toward more affordable regions,” said economist Michael Stoll of the University of California, Los Angeles in a statement.

“Once the paycheck is no longer tied to a specific ZIP code, buyers stop choosing homes based on commuting and start choosing based on community, access to nature, schools and how they want to live, day-to-day,” said Leland.