ArcaMax

In the 1950s and 1960s, about 20% of Americans moved each year. In 2022, that figure dropped to about 9%. The dramatic decrease over decades has continued in earnest over the past 15 years, driven largely by a drop among in-county movers.

In 2022, a little over 28 million people moved residences, down more than 10 million from 2007. Most of that drop was among people moving within their home county, comprising over half of yearly movers. That share has fallen substantially in recent years—especially in 2022, the most recent year measured, when the share of in-county movers dropped by about 5 percentage points in one year.

Spokeo analyzed relocation trends in recent years by examining data from the Census Bureau. A combination of factors is driving the drop in moves. Rising real estate prices are at the core of the decline of American mobility. Home sale prices across the country are at historic highs, as are rentals, and moving is costly. Mortgage rates, currently hovering around 7%, are also high relative to recent years. Meanwhile, a quarter of existing mortgages are locked in at rates under 3%, encouraging homeowners to stay in place.

The American population is also aging as baby boomers enter retirement. Older adults are less likely to move, though people of all ages and varied demographics are moving less often, according to a New York Times article. There has been a major dip in moves among younger adults, who have fewer motivations to move or seek out more space as they wait longer to get married or have children—if they do so at all.

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