Americans No Longer Moving Like They Did In the Past

U.S. history has long included the movement of people to new areas: north, south, west, southwest, and northwest from the Eastern Seaboard. Over the years, that changed from exploration and colonization of new areas to searches for individual opportunities, whether lifestyle or economic.

However, things are changing. In the late 1940s, about 20% of the population moved annually. Part of that was young people and renters moved around more than older Americans or homeowners. A greater predominance of single-earner households also made it easier to move a family if that one person found another job elsewhere.

According to a Brookings Institution study by metro senior fellow William Frey, the share of U.S. residents who are moving is down to historical lows. Between 2021 and 2022, 8.7% of the population moving. The population is aging, and far fewer households rely on a single member’s income, making any move more complicated as a result.

That can be seen in data that Frey put together, showing annual migration rates by age in 1990-1991, 2005-2006, and 2021-2022. In the first of the three periods, 35% of those 20 to 24 migrated, while about 33% of those 25 to 29 migrated. In the second of the periods, about 28% of those 20 to 24 migrated and about 27% of those 25 to 29 migrated. In the third period, about 18% of the 20 to 24-year-olds moved and 19% of those 25 to 29 did.

This shift was also prevalent during the pandemic when many were supposedly shifting from large metropolitan centers in the Midwest and gateway cities on the coasts to the Sun Belt. Without the pandemic, it might have been lower. But more individuals were able to work remotely, enabling more to work remotely without a move.

There is also another recent change — which might be pandemic-related or not. There was a drop in local moves — those within the same county — and an increase in inter-county and interstate moves. The growth in both was small and each has shown some volatility over time, so the increase between 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 may or may not matter.

History has seen changes in the places where workers frequented. Bureau of Labor Statistics via the FRED site of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows the following percentage of working people by major Census region in January 2004: 18.8% in the Northeast; 23.3% in the Midwest; 22.7% in the West; and 35.2% in the South.

The most recent numbers in June 2024 are as follows: Northeast, 17.5%; Midwest, 21.2%; West, 23.6%; and South, 37.7%.

Even with slowing intra-state and county migration, there are still significant effects on varying states. As Axios previously reported, in 2022, 820,000 people moved out of California, with many moving to Texas. And 550,000 moved out of New York State, with some going to Florida.