Choosing What Fits: United Van Lines’ 2025 Movers Study

In 2025, moving wasn’t about starting over. It was about choosing what works.

The United Van Lines 49th Annual National Movers Study shows Americans who relocated this year did so with clarity; guided by family needs, financial realities and a clear sense of timing. The decisions weren’t louder or bigger than in years past. They were more personal.

Behind every box is a beginning. In 2025, many of those beginnings were shaped by careful thought about what fits now.

Family, First — Again 

For the fifth year in a row, being closer to family was the leading reason Americans moved interstate, accounting for 29% of moves in 2025.

That number holds steady across regions and age groups, and it tells a quiet story about priorities. Parents moved closer to help with children. Adult children repositioned themselves to care for aging parents. Families chose proximity over distance — not out of obligation, but out of intention.

Work remained a powerful motivator, but not the only one. New jobs or company transfers accounted for 26% of moves, reflecting how employment decisions increasingly sit alongside — rather than above — family considerations.

Retirement represented 14% of interstate moves, continuing a multiyear trend toward planned, purposeful relocations later in life.

Moving With Life Stage in Mind

The reasons people moved stayed consistent. How those reasons played out varied by life stage.

Younger adults were more likely to move for work or opportunity, often choosing places where the cost of living allows for a foothold. Midlife movers balanced employment with school systems, housing costs and proximity to family support. Older adults focused on affordability, access to care and a pace of life that feels sustainable.

Rather than pointing to a single destination or demographic shift, the data suggests something more nuanced. Americans are choosing places that align with the season of life they’re currently in.

Where the Everyday Equation Adds Up

That clarity shows up in where people moved.

In 2025, top inbound states included Oregon (65%), West Virginia (62%), South Carolina (61%), Delaware (60%), Minnesota (58%), Idaho (58%), North Carolina (58%), Arkansas (57%), Alabama (57%) and Nevada (57%).

These states don’t look the same, but they share common ground. Housing remains relatively attainable. Commutes tend to be shorter. Communities feel more settled than transient. There’s enough opportunity to stay — without the pressure that often accompanies higher-cost regions.

The pattern isn’t about chasing growth. It’s about choosing places where daily life feels manageable and future planning feels realistic.

A Shift in Familiar Favorites

At the same time, states long known as migration magnets are beginning to look more balanced.

For the first time in more than a decade, Texas and Florida recorded nearly equal inbound and outbound moves. Illinois also returned to a closer inbound/outbound balance in 2025, no longer appearing on the top outbound list.

It reflects a recalibration overall. Rising housing prices, insurance costs and everyday expenses are changing how people evaluate even familiar destinations. Movers are asking fuller questions and choosing their new home and city based on what holds up over time.

What the Numbers Reveal

Taken together, the data points to a meaningful shift in how Americans think about moving.

In 2025, relocation wasn’t about chasing the next big thing. It was about alignment — with family, finances and the kind of life people want to sustain.

Behind every box is a beginning. This year, those beginnings often meant moving closer to help, closer to affordability and closer to a place where life feels workable.

Not perfect. Just right for now.

Ready to Make a Move?  

United’s here to help — and it all starts with a moving quote. Our full-service moving packages provide flexibility to mix and match the services you want and need, from packing and unpacking to standard furniture placement.   

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