Domestic Migration by State: Where Americans Are Moving in 2025

Each year, millions of Americans pack up and move across state lines, reshaping housing markets, labor pools, and political maps. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data for 2025 show a clear pattern: the South continues to attract new residents, led by Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina, while California and New York see more people leaving than arriving. At the same time, the overall pace of domestic migration has cooled from the pandemic-era boom, as higher mortgage rates, return-to-office policies, and a shrinking affordability gap have dampened relocation incentives.

Key Numbers

• Total U.S. adult movers in 2025: nearly 15 million, or more than 4% of the adult population.
• Top state by total net domestic migration: Texas, with a net gain of 68,318 residents.
• Second and third by total net gain: South Carolina (+41,548) and North Carolina (+30,947).
• Top state by per capita net migration: South Carolina, gaining 79.7 residents per 10,000 people.
• Other per capita leaders: Idaho (63.2 per 10,000) and Delaware (54.5 per 10,000).
• Largest net loss: California, losing 98,568 more residents than it gained.
• U.S. population growth 2024–2025: 1.8 million people, or 0.5%, the slowest since 2021.
• Main driver of slowdown: a historic decline in international migration.

Explanation

Domestic migration refers to the movement of people from one U.S. state to another within the country. Net domestic migration is the difference between the number of people moving into a state and the number moving out. A positive number means more people arrived from other states than left; a negative number means the state experienced a net outflow to other states.

The U.S. Census Bureau produces annual population estimates that include components of change: births, deaths, international migration, and domestic migration. These estimates are based on administrative records such as tax returns, Medicare enrollment, and other data sources. Independent analyses, such as those from HireAHelper using Census PGM (Population Estimates Program) data, provide state-level rankings of net domestic migration.

In 2025, domestic migration patterns continued to favor the South and parts of the Mountain West, but the intensity of movement was well below the pandemic housing boom. The national population growth rate of 0.5% was the slowest since 2021, largely because international migration fell sharply after a 2024 uptick.

Definition

Domestic migration is the movement of people between states within the United States. It excludes international moves. Net domestic migration is calculated as in-migration minus out-migration for a given state over a specific period, usually one year. A state with positive net domestic migration gains population from other states, while a state with negative net domestic migration loses population to other states. Per capita net migration expresses the net gain or loss relative to the state’s population, often per 10,000 residents, allowing fair comparisons between large and small states.

Methodology

The primary source for state-level domestic migration estimates is the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program. The Bureau uses administrative records—including federal tax returns, Medicare enrollment, and Social Security data—to track address changes and estimate interstate moves. These estimates are updated annually and released with a lag; the 2025 estimates were published in early 2026.

Analyses such as HireAHelper’s net migration rankings use the Census Bureau’s PGM data to calculate total and per capita net domestic migration for each state. The data cover adults who changed their state of residence, not all household members, and may undercount short-term or informal moves.

National Comparison

Nationally, nearly 15 million adults moved between states in 2025, representing more than 4% of the adult population. This is a substantial number, but it marks a slowdown from the pandemic years when remote work and housing affordability drove an unusually large wave of relocation. The U.S. population grew by only 1.8 million people (0.5%) between 2024 and 2025, the slowest rate since 2021. The slowdown was driven primarily by a decline in international migration, not by a collapse in domestic movement, but domestic migration also remained below the peak levels seen in 2021–2022.

State Comparison

The South was the clear winner in 2025 domestic migration. Texas, South Carolina, and North Carolina led the nation in total net gains. Texas added 68,318 more residents from other states than it lost, followed by South Carolina (+41,548) and North Carolina (+30,947). On a per capita basis, South Carolina was the top destination, gaining 79.7 residents per 10,000 people, ahead of Idaho (63.2) and Delaware (54.5).

At the other end, California had the largest net loss, with 98,568 more residents leaving for other states than arriving. New York also saw more people leaving than arriving, continuing a multi-year trend of out-migration from high-cost, high-tax states in the Northeast and West Coast.

Florida and Texas continued to see positive net domestic migration, but the volumes were far lower than during the pandemic housing boom, according to ResiClub Analytics. The Midwest also showed gains in some states, reflecting a broader dispersion of movers beyond the traditional Sun Belt hotspots.

Ranking Table

The table below summarizes the top states by total net domestic migration and by per capita net domestic migration in 2025, based on Census PGM data analyzed by HireAHelper.

For per capita net migration, the leaders were:

California’s net loss of 98,568 was the largest in the nation, but New York also experienced a net outflow, though its exact figure was not highlighted in the available summary data.

Year-over-Year Change

Compared with the pandemic-era peak, domestic migration in 2025 was significantly cooler. During 2020–2022, millions of Americans left expensive coastal markets for lower-cost destinations across the Sun Belt, and boomtowns such as Boise, Austin, and Bozeman struggled to keep pace with new arrivals. By 2025, that wave had subsided. Return-to-office mandates, higher mortgage rates, and a shrinking affordability gap between coastal cities and former COVID hotspots reduced the incentive to move.

Texas and Florida still posted positive net domestic migration, but the gains were far smaller than during the pandemic housing boom. The national population growth rate also fell from 1.0% in 2024 to 0.5% in 2025, the slowest since 2021, largely due to a decline in international migration.

Factors Behind the Trend

Several economic and demographic forces shaped 2025 domestic migration patterns:

• Housing affordability: Lower home prices and rents in the South and Mountain West continued to attract movers from expensive coastal states.
• Return-to-office policies: As employers called workers back to offices, the remote-work-driven migration of 2020–2022 lost momentum.
• Mortgage rates: Higher borrowing costs made moving and buying a home more expensive, discouraging some potential movers.
• Shrinking affordability gap: Rapid price growth in former boomtowns reduced the cost advantage that had drawn earlier migrants.
• Job markets and taxes: States with growing employment opportunities and lower tax burdens, particularly in the South, remained attractive.

Domestic migration remains one of the most powerful forces shaping local economies, housing markets, and consumer demand.

Why It Matters

Domestic migration directly affects housing demand, rental markets, school enrollment, labor supply, and state tax bases. States gaining residents often see increased construction, retail activity, and political representation after the next census, while losing states may face declining tax revenues, slower economic growth, and reduced federal funding. For businesses and investors, migration trends signal where to build homes, open stores, and expand services. For policymakers, they highlight the need for infrastructure, affordable housing, and workforce development.

Limitations of the Data

State-level domestic migration estimates are subject to revision and may not capture all moves. The Census Bureau’s estimates rely on administrative records that can miss people who do not file tax returns or update their address promptly. Per capita figures can be influenced by small population bases, making small states appear to have large relative gains. Additionally, the data do not explain why people move; they only measure the net result. Short-term moves, multiple moves within a year, and moves by children are not fully captured in adult-focused analyses.

Historical Data

The 2025 slowdown follows a period of unusually high mobility. In 2024, the U.S. population grew by 1.0%, a significant uptick driven partly by a rebound in international migration. The pandemic years of 2020–2021 saw a historic low population growth rate of 0.2% in 2021, but domestic migration surged as remote work allowed people to relocate. By 2025, population growth fell back to 0.5%, the slowest since 2021, and domestic migration cooled from its pandemic peak. The South has led population and migration trends for several years, and 2025 continued that pattern, though at a more moderate pace.

Source & Data Date

Primary source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates, released in early 2026. State-level net domestic migration figures are from the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PGM) as analyzed by HireAHelper, updated July 20, 2026. Additional context from the National Association of Realtors (February 24, 2026), Placer.ai (June 18, 2026), and ResiClub Analytics (January 28, 2026).