Everyone Wanted to Move to This U.S. City Last Year — And It’s Not the One You Expect

According to a new report, a warm-weather retirement community beat out hundreds of other cities as the number one spot that people wanted to move to in 2024. Georgia-based moving tech company moveBuddha found in a recent study that the most desirable place to move to in the U.S. is The Villages in Florida.

The Florida community, which has a reputation for being one of the largest retirement communities in the U.S., won the top spot based on its positive move-in-out ratio (aka the number of people planning a move there versus the number moving out) of 4.38. (A “move-in-out ratio” of below 1 suggests more residents are leaving; a ratio of above 1 suggests more people are moving to the city).

MoveBuddha used data gathered from its Moving Cost Calculator tool between July 2023 and March 2024 for moves that were planned for sometime in 2024 in each state. They used these numbers to compare the number of people planning to move into a city versus the number of people moving out.

The Villages might seem like a surprising winner at first, but U.S. Census data previously revealed that the 55-and-up community is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country. Plus, it makes sense when you realize that people moving to The Villages are doing so to retire — meaning that they’re not likely to move again in their lifetime. Plus, given just how many Baby Boomers are at retirement age (Boomers hit “peak 65” in 2024, per CNBC), The Villages’ ranking makes sense.

MoveBuddha noted that one of the biggest factors in determining a city’s desirability over the past few years is its ease of becoming a homeowner, and The Villages definitely fits the bill. In January 2024, it won the title of the top-selling planned community for the 11th year in a row by Real Estate Consulting.

While The Villages might be a dream destination for baby boomers looking to retire, moveBuddha found that mid-level cities with plentiful outdoor activities, a progressive arts scene, and cultural happenings also ranked highly in their report.

There are some caveats to the report, however. For one, they omitted Mississippi, North Dakota, and West Virginia due to a lack of search data, and they also took their findings from planned moves, meaning they were unable to know for sure whether people actually made their dream moves last year. However, these searches were still a good indicator of where people hope to move to.

Unsurprisingly, Asheville, North Carolina — which is known for its natural beauty and historical attractions — came in second place with a move-in-out ratio of 3.29. In mid-2024, a report revealed that North Carolina was a highly desirable state for those looking to move. The region is still coping with extensive devastation that it incurred during Hurricane Helene last year.

Myrtle Beach in South Carolina followed with a score of 3.22. According to moveBuddha, Myrtle Beach homes are under the average home value of $343,000, making it an attractive option for people looking for warm weather, outdoor activities, as well as affordable housing.

Billings, Montana (another outdoor and culture hot spot), came in fourth with a score of 2.41, while Decatur, Georgia — another city with home prices below the U.S. average — came in fifth. Check out the top 10 U.S. cities where people wanted to move to in 2024, or see the full list here.

1. The Villages, Florida

2. Asheville, North Carolina

3. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

4. Billings, Montana

5. Decatur, Georgia

6. Chattanooga, Tennessee

7. Conroe, Texas

8. Cheyenne, Wyoming

9. Burlington, Vermont

10. Boulder, Colorado

Further Reading

I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered

We Asked 5 Contractors Which Kitchen Reno Trend Homeowners Regret Most, and They Basically All Agreed

See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room