Top 10 States People Are Moving To, According to the Census
The Census Bureau’s net domestic migration figures show the balance of people entering and leaving each state from elsewhere in the United States. North Carolina, with roughly 11.2 million residents, gained more domestic migrants on balance than Texas, home to more than 31 million people. South Carolina, with approximately 5.6 million people, came within 677 residents of Texas for second place.
| Rank | State | Net domestic migration, July 2024–June 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | +84,064 |
| 2 | Texas | +67,299 |
| 3 | South Carolina | +66,622 |
| 4 | Tennessee | +42,389 |
| 5 | Arizona | +31,107 |
| 6 | Georgia | +27,333 |
| 7 | Alabama | +23,358 |
| 8 | Florida | +22,517 |
| 9 | Idaho | +19,915 |
| 10 | Nevada | +14,914 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Net domestic migration covers July 2024 through June 2025. Values represent arrivals minus departures within the United States.
Seven of the ten leading states are in the South: North Carolina, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Arizona, Idaho and Nevada account for the remaining three in the West. South Carolina also recorded the nation’s fastest overall population growth at 1.5%, followed by Idaho at 1.4% and North Carolina at 1.3%.
Florida ranked eighth for net domestic migration, gaining 22,517 people from other states on balance while its overall population grew by 196,680. Texas recorded the country’s largest overall population increase, 391,243. Total growth includes births, deaths and international migration, which is why a state can gain substantial population without leading the domestic migration ranking.
Where Our Customers Booked Interstate Moves for Early 2026
Florida remained our most frequent interstate destination for moves scheduled during January through April 2026, with 319 of the 2,288 bookings crossing state lines. California was second with 203, followed by Texas with 195. North Carolina, the national Census leader in the older reporting period, ranked fourth among our booked destinations with 118.
| Rank | Destination state | 2026 bookings | Share of our interstate bookings | 2025 bookings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 319 | 13.9% | 252 |
| 2 | California | 203 | 8.9% | 134 |
| 3 | Texas | 195 | 8.5% | 175 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 118 | 5.2% | 90 |
| 5 | Arizona | 101 | 4.4% | 85 |
| 6 | Georgia | 83 | 3.6% | 76 |
| 7 | South Carolina | 80 | 3.5% | 56 |
| 8 | New York | 80 | 3.5% | 72 |
| 9 | Washington | 79 | 3.5% | 62 |
| 10 | Virginia | 65 | 2.8% | 46 |
Source: Coastal Moving Services interstate bookings for moves scheduled January–April 2025 and January–April 2026. The 2026 figures cover 2,288 interstate bookings; the comparable 2025 period covers 1,937. Within-state routes are excluded.
Florida remained first in both years, but its share of our interstate destinations edged up from 13.0% to 13.9%. California recorded a more pronounced shift, rising from 134 booked arrivals to 203 and increasing its share from 6.9% to 8.9%. Texas received 195 bookings, up from 175, although its share was slightly lower because our total interstate bookings also increased.
Bookings headed for the Carolinas also grew faster than our interstate total. North Carolina rose from 90 to 118, an increase of 31.1%, and South Carolina from 56 to 80, up 42.9%. Across all destinations, our interstate bookings for the same scheduled months increased 18.1%.
Which States Had More Booked Arrivals Than Departures?
California’s second-place finish among our destinations would suggest a strong inbound market if arrivals were the only figure considered. Yet we also recorded 357 interstate bookings originating there during the same January–April 2026 moving period, compared with 203 headed into the state. Florida showed the reverse pattern, with 319 inbound bookings and 261 outbound. Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina likewise appeared more often as destinations than origins within our interstate bookings.
| State | Inbound bookings | Outbound bookings | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 319 | 261 | +58 |
| Texas | 195 | 143 | +52 |
| North Carolina | 118 | 91 | +27 |
| South Carolina | 80 | 52 | +28 |
| California | 203 | 357 | −154 |
Source: Coastal Moving Services interstate bookings for moves scheduled January–April 2026. The differences are inbound minus outbound bookings through Coastal, not statewide population-migration estimates.
Where Are Interstate Moves Coming From?
Florida-bound bookings came from many starting points. For moves scheduled from January through April 2026, 38 originated in California, 34 in New York and 28 in New Jersey. Those three routes accounted for 100 of our 319 Florida-bound interstate bookings. Massachusetts, Texas and North Carolina also appeared among the origins, with 16, 15 and 13 respectively.
California-to-Texas was our most frequently booked interstate route that people are moving to, with 43 jobs scheduled during the four months. In the opposite direction, we recorded 23 Texas-to-California bookings. The same two-way movement appeared between New York and Florida: 34 bookings headed from New York to Florida, while 17 headed from Florida to New York.
Among our 118 bookings headed to North Carolina, 15 originated in California, 11 in New York and ten in Florida; another eight began in Texas. Florida was the most frequent origin for our South Carolina bookings, with 13, followed by California with nine.
North Carolina, South Carolina and the Fast-Growing Metro Areas
North Carolina’s population growth extends across the Raleigh and Charlotte areas. In the latest county estimates released in March 2026, Wake County, home to Raleigh, gained 27,760 residents, and Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, gained 26,554. Both were among the ten largest county population increases in the country during that period. Those county figures include all sources of population change.
Collin County, in the northern Dallas suburbs, added 42,966 residents in the same county estimates. Someone moving to Dallas–Fort Worth is choosing among communities across a large metro area, while a move to North Carolina could lead to Charlotte, Raleigh or a smaller city. Our North Carolina city guide explores destinations within that state, and our city migration guide looks beyond state borders.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 National and State Population Estimates, January 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau: State population totals and components of change
- U.S. Census Bureau: County and metropolitan population estimates, March 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau: Population Estimates Program release schedule
- Coastal Moving Services: interstate booking destinations, origins and routes for moves scheduled January–April 2025 and January–April 2026.
Last reviewed: October 15, 2026.
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