People moved to Arkansas, Rhode Island, and North Carolina the most this year. According to Atlas Van Lines, people also moved the most out of Louisiana, California, and Illinois.
Conducted annually, the study, which measures Atlas customers’ interstate, interprovince, and international moves, followed relocations from Nov. 1, 2023, to Oct. 31, 2024, to gauge where people moved from and where they moved to. The top 10 inbound states also included Washington, D.C.; Idaho; Tennessee; Maine; Connecticut; Washington; and Alaska, while South Dakota and New York completed the top outbound states list.
Atlas took the study a step further this year asking consumers the motivations behind their moves. Polling 1,135 people in August, the survey revealed three distinct reasons consumers moved: for work, to be closer to friends and family, and for affordability.
“In past years, the Migration Patterns Study told us where Atlas customers moved, but not necessarily why,” says Ryan McConnell, president and chief operating officer of Atlas Van Lines. “Atlas’ 2024 study and survey data provides insight into why some people moved where they did—or where they didn’t.”
The study, which aligns with Census Bureau data, indicates interstate moves remain steady. In 2024, there was the highest number of “balanced” states in the last five years, meaning a fairly even number of people are moving in as moving out. Because of the lowest number of outbound states in over five years, many people may not be moving at all. Atlas says this is likely an impact of the “lock-in effect” that discourages homeowners to move and drives housing prices up.
| 2024 Top Inbound States | 2024 Top Outbound States |
| Arkansas | Louisiana |
| Rhode Island | California |
| North Carolina | Illinois |
| Washington, D.C. | South Dakota |
| Idaho | New York |
| Tennessee | |
| Maine | |
| Connecticut | |
| Washington | |
| Alaska |
The majority who do move, do so for work. Atlas points out that this corresponds with companies’ increasing mandates requiring employees to return to the office (RTO) full-time. RTO mandates from Fortune 500 companies such as Walmart, CVS, and Amazon align with the top inbound states of Arkansas, Rhode Island, and Washington.
Three of the most populous and expensive states to live in—California, Illinois, and New York—were on this year’s outbound list. For over five years, Illinois and New York have remained firmly on the outbound list, but California was balanced from 2022 to 2024. Its return to the outbound list, when so many other states are balanced, is noteworthy, Atlas says. In contrast, North Carolina has been on the inbound list for over a decade.
