Arkansas tops the list of most popular places to move in 2024: Study

A new study found that Arkansas, known for its natural beauty, was the most popular state to move to in 2024, with Americans citing job opportunities, proximity to friends and family and affordability as their primary moving motivators.

According to the national mover Atlas Van Lines' annual Migration Patterns Study, the 2024 data shows the highest number of "balanced" states in the last five years, meaning a relatively even number of people are moving in and out of states.

The study revealed that 2024 also brought the lowest number of outbound states in over five years, conveying that many people may not be moving at all. Atlas Van Lines suggested these numbers are likely the result of the "lock-in effect," wherein low-interest mortgages keep homeowners around and drive housing prices up.

Rhode Island came in at No. 2 for inbound states, followed by North Carolina, Washington, D.C., (not technically a state), Idaho, Tennessee, Maine, Connecticut, Washington state and Alaska. The study does not rank the states by actual number of people who moved in or out, but rather it calculates the highest percentage of inbound and outbound moves within the last year — based on the total number of shipments multiplied by 0.55 (i.e., in a state with 100 moves, at least 55 must be outgoing to be considered outbound).

AMERICANS FLOCKING FROM MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITIES TO THESE SOUTHERN 'EX BURBS'

Boy jumps in the Buffalo River at the Ozark National Forest Park, Arkansas, USA.  ((Photo by: Andre Seale/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images))

The study indicated that increasing return-to-office (RTO) mandates from Fortune 500 Companies like Amazon, Walmart and CVS coincide with the top inbound states of Arkansas, Rhode Island and Washington.

Atlas COO Ryan McConnell told Fox News Digital he wasn't surprised to see Arkansas top the list, citing positive indicators on affordability, interest rates, and home inventories and prices. Corporate giants like Walmart and Tyson Foods have long been headquartered in the state and made heavy investments there.

"What you see in that state are good cost of living, low crime rates, and a lot of green space if you’ve been in the northwest part," he said. "You’re seeing corporate America flock there which is actually driving some of that relocation into the state … A lot of what we see from the interstate mobility perspective is driven by work."

Louisiana topped the list of states people left, with Americans citing a difficult job market and increased costs of living.

"The Bayou State" is followed by California, Illinois, South Dakota and New York as the top outbound states of 2024.

"Three of the most populous and expensive states to live in – California, Illinois, and New York – were on this year’s outbound list. Illinois and New York have remained firmly on the outbound list for over five years, but California was balanced from 2022 to 2024. Its return to the outbound list, when so many other states are balanced, is noteworthy," a press release from Atlas Van Lines noted.

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Affordability and job opportunities are some of the main factors driving Americans to Arkansas.

In August 2024, Atlas surveyed 1,135 consumers who had moved in the past three years, either on their own or with a moving service. Results show that 32% moved for a new job, 25% moved to be closer to friends or family, and 10% moved for affordability reasons. The remaining 33% cited reasons that include climate/weather, safety, relationship changes, education, retirement, or health reasons.

In 2023, Maine was the top inbound state in the United States, while Illinois was the top outbound state.

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