In 2024, Arkansas is the most popular place to move, according to a study.

In 2024, Arkansas, renowned for its natural splendor, emerged as the most sought-after state to relocate to, with job prospects, proximity to loved ones, and affordability being the main driving forces behind the decision to move.

The 2024 data from Atlas Van Lines' annual Migration Patterns Study reveals the highest number of "balanced" states in the past five years, with a relatively equal number of people moving in and out of states.

The study found that 2024 had the lowest number of outbound states in over five years, indicating that many people may not be moving at all. Atlas Van Lines believes this is due to the "lock-in effect," where low-interest mortgages keep homeowners in place and increase housing prices.

Rhode Island ranked second in the study of inbound states, with North Carolina, Washington, D.C., Idaho, Tennessee, Maine, Connecticut, Washington state, and Alaska following closely behind. The study did not rank the states based on the actual number of people who moved in or out but rather calculated 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).

The research showed that the increase in return-to-office (RTO) requirements from major corporations such as Amazon, Walmart, and CVS corresponds with the highest influx of states, including Arkansas, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Ryan McConnell, Atlas COO, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that he was not surprised to see Arkansas rank first, as he pointed out the state's positive indicators on affordability, interest rates, home inventories, and prices. The presence of corporate giants such as Walmart and Tyson Foods, who have long been headquartered in the state and made significant investments there, has contributed to the state's success.

"He stated that the northwest part of the state offers good cost of living, low crime rates, and a lot of green space. However, he pointed out that corporate America is increasingly relocating to this area, which is driving some of the relocation into the state. He emphasized that a lot of what they see from the interstate mobility perspective is driven by work."

The list of states people left was headed by Louisiana, with Americans mentioning a challenging job market and higher living expenses as reasons for departure.

In 2024, California, Illinois, South Dakota, and New York will be the top outbound states, following The Bayou State.

According to a press release from Atlas Van Lines, California, Illinois, and New York are among the most populous and expensive states to live in, and they have been on the outbound list for several years. While Illinois and New York have remained on the list for over five years, California was removed from it between 2022 and 2024. Its return to the list is noteworthy, given the many other states that are currently balanced.

In August 2024, Atlas surveyed 1,135 consumers who had relocated in the past three years, either independently or with a moving service. According to the results, 32% of the respondents moved for job opportunities, 25% relocated to be nearer to friends or family, and 10% did so for affordability reasons. The remaining 33% cited various reasons such as climate/weather, safety, relationship changes, education, retirement, or health concerns.

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