Americans move around more often than you might think. More than seven million homes are bought and sold each year, to say nothing of the apartments people swap after their lease is up.
But where are these people going? And why do people move so much? That’s a great question, and there are a lot of different answers.
As far as reasons to move, some do it for financial opportunities (or obligations), and others for family or health reasons. And some just move to upgrade their home.
Keep reading below to learn some of the most common reasons Americans are moving, and where they are going every year.
Table of Contents
1. Starting a New Job
One of the most common reasons for moving is for a new job opportunity. While many people limit in their employment opportunities by employers in their current city, others are open to working across the nation.
This is especially common for those graduating college. If you don’t have a ton of roots down in your current area, it’s much easier to consider employment opportunities nationwide.
Regarding industries, healthcare is one of the most popular career paths that bring people to new places. The tech industry also attracts the brightest young minds to larger cities such as San Franciso or New York.
And banking and finance-related jobs often congregate in larger cities, such as Chicago.
If you’re planning a move, whether you’ve lived in your current home for six months or six years, make sure to review a moving checklist to make the process as easy as possible.
2. Moving Closer to Work
Another common reason for a house move is to simply get closer to work. You might have a great job that you intend on keeping for years, if not, decades.
But if you’re spending too much time and too much gas driving there every day, a move closer to your workplace is a smart idea.
The average American spends 28 minutes each way, or about an hour a day commuting to work and back. If you could move within 10 minutes of your workplace, and save 50 minutes of time each day, you’d get back 40 minutes of time per day.
That adds up to 166 hours saved per year, or nearly one week of your life back each year.
So yes, moving just to get closer to work is a very good idea.
3. Better School Districts
Many who make a residential move each year aren’t going very far. In fact, they might only move a few blocks away in order to live within a better school district.
Unfortunately, not all school districts are equal. And the quality of the school district (and how much money it has) directly impact your child’s education and their opportunities in the future.
Many move within certain neighborhoods primarily to get access to stronger school districts with more opportunities for their children.
Some also move to get closer to the schools their children will attend, so they can either take the bus or walk to school, saving time and gas each day.
4. Be Near Family
Another common reason for moving is to be near family. Moving across the country is getting easier, and college graduates often take jobs in other states and cities.
While this can be exciting for some time, there comes a moment when you realize how important family is, and how important it is to be near them.
This realization often happens when a baby is born or when a family member is sick or aging. Adults in their 40s and 50s will often move to be closer to their parents or their grandkids.
5. Escape Harsh Weather
Many thousands of people move every year for one reason; to escape harsh weather. For most people, the cold, snow, and ice of northern states such as the Midwest and New England are too much to handle.
Having to put on coats and boots just to leave the home is a burden. Slipping and sliding on ice as you drive down the road is terrifying. And spending each morning shoveling snow is a waste of time.
So many are fleeing the north in favor of warmer states like Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Arizona.
6. Remote Work
Before 2020, only a small percentage of Americans worked remotely full time. Ever since 2020, however, many millions have moved into full-time remote work.
They no longer need to show up to a physical office building. And this is allowing many workers to move out of big, expensive cities in favor of smaller towns with a more affordable lifestyle while keeping their jobs.
As a result, we have seen a mass exodus from places such as the Bay Area, Chicago, New York, and other over-priced cities as workers can live where they want, rather than where the good jobs are.
Oftentimes, this category of movers coincides with those moving away from bad weather. Since they don’t need to live in a place like Chicago, where there’s snow and ice in the winter, they can take their remote job down south and work in the backyard on a warm, January morning.
7. Upgrade Houses
Still, many people move simply to upgrade their houses. They stay within the same city, and often in the same neighborhood, but are just ready for a new home.
Whether the family is growing with new babies, or income levels are higher, so a nicer house can be purchased, people can’t stay in one house forever.
This is also common when adult children move away from home. Now that there are only two people in the home again, they can downsize to save money and save time managing their home.
What Are Your Reasons to Move?
For most people, moving is a drag. It’s a lot of work, it’s costly, and it’s time-consuming. Some people, however, love moving and do it quite frequently.
Whether you are hoping this is your last move, or plan on hopping around for the foreseeable future, make sure you have the right reasons to move.
A good move can help you make more money, save more money, save time, or simply make you happier if it’s done for the right reasons.
Looking for more tips like this? Head to our blog now to continue reading.
