Approximately 8.9% of Americans relocated in 2022—a significant decrease from the 20% who moved annually in the 1950s, suggesting the population has become increasingly rooted, partly because of the growing remote work opportunities and housing affordability challenges. A recent study by Rocket Moving analyzed relocation statistics between U.S. states to identify the states where new movers save the most money by relocating to another state. The research relies on the comparison between key indicators, including happiness ranking, quality of life, cost of living, rent expenses, and safety. The final ranking is focused on the number of state-to-state movers per 100K residents, identifying the states where people move the most from and to.
Here is the summary of the findings:
| States | State-to-State Moves | Top Destination | Moves to That State | Avg. Savings |
| Delaware | 33,691 | Maryland | 4,880 | $18,915 |
| Nevada | 114,131 | California | 22,183 | $17,620 |
| Idaho | 70,542 | Washington | 10,557 | $17,213 |
| Texas | 494,077 | California | 42,279 | $16,758 |
| Wyoming | 27,005 | Colorado | 4,493 | $15,786 |
| Arizona | 204,734 | California | 27,412 | $14,905 |
| Rhode Island | 39,156 | Massachusetts | 11,290 | $14,743 |
| Louisiana | 105,897 | Texas | 25,192 | $14,468 |
| Arkansas | 74,408 | Texas | 18,562 | $13,625 |
| New Mexico | 58,443 | Texas | 17,455 | $12,485 |
You can access the full research findings by following this link.
The U.S. state that saves the most money when moving is Delaware, with a total savings of $18.9K after relocation to another state. Most residents choose Maryland as their new home, with a higher quality of life and safety. The main difference between states is income, with Maryland residents earning up to $18K more annually.
Nevada residents rank 2nd among those who save the most moving to another state, with average savings of $17.6K, and 114.1K movers in 2023. The preferred choice for Nevada residents is California. California offers a huge improvement in quality of life and life satisfaction, and the state compensates for the expensive cost of living with higher salaries.
Idaho ranks third, where movers save up to $17.2K. Over 70K people moved out of the state in 2023, and the most popular choice was Washington. 10.5K people moved from Idaho to Washington, choosing higher salaries, with a median income of $82.4K.
Texas holds fourth position, and movers from there can save $16.7K. Over 494K people chose to leave Texas in 2023, with California being the primary option, and nearly 1 in 10 people moving there. The cost of living and rent are higher than in Texas, but income and safety are significantly higher in California.
Wyoming is fifth among the U.S. states where new movers save the most money. When choosing a state to move to, Wyoming residents most often choose Colorado. As a bigger neighboring state, it is a popular choice, and movers can save over $15.7K with this decision. At the same time, movers trade quality of life and safety, with Colorado trailing behind Wyoming in both categories.
Arizona ranks sixth, with $14.9K saved. Similar to Texas, the most popular choice for Arizonian movers is California, with 27.4K people relocating there. California is significantly more expensive than Arizona, but it compensates for it with a higher quality of life and overall life satisfaction, with a happiness score of 59.9 for California.
In seventh place is Rhode Island, with $14.7K saved by moving to another state. The most popular choice is Massachusetts, which stands out with the highest safety and the highest quality of life. The rents in Massachusetts are higher, but Rhode Island movers can also expect higher salaries, with a median income of $89.6K.
Louisiana follows closely with eighth place and $14.4K in savings. The preferred state to move from Louisiana is Texas, with 1 in 4 movers relocating there, amounting to 25.1K in 2023. Beyond higher safety and quality of life, Texas also offers a cheaper cost of living, with $1,242 against Louisiana’s $1,325.
Arkansas is ninth, with $13.6K in savings. Just as for Louisiana, the most popular place to move from Arkansas is Texas, with 18.5K people making their new home there. One of the main advantages is lower real estate prices, costing over $26K less in Texas than in Arkansas.
New Mexico closes the ranking of the U.S. states where new movers save the most money, with tenth place and $12.4K in savings. New Mexico is the third state on the list that moves to Texas the most, with 17.4K people moving there in 2023. Similar to Arkansas, for New Mexico movers, Texas offers cheaper real estate, as well as higher salaries.
Christopher Vardanyan, CEO at Rocket Moving, commented on the study: “Geographic mobility in the United States continues to be driven primarily by economic factors, with housing costs being the most significant variable in relocation decisions. The trend of moving from high-cost coastal areas to more affordable regions with strong job markets has accelerated in recent years, creating new demographic patterns that will reshape communities for decades to come.”
