For many Americans, choosing where to live is no longer just about space or proximity to work, it is about lifestyle. A new report from moveBuddha indicates that Americans are continuing to head toward the Sun Belt states, trading “square footage for quality of life, megacities for mid-markets, and high costs for breathing room.”
“It’s just a very popular place to move,” said Ryan Carrigan, founder of moveBuddha to CNBC
“I think there’s a lot of affordability and housing availability. Those things are pretty big factors in terms of people moving.”
The report confirms a migration trend that has been taking shape for years, people are moving south.
Affordability, warmer weather, and room to breathe are luring Americans away from expensive coastal cities and toward states where the cost of living is lower and the quality of life higher.
Carrigan notes that while some Covid-era migration trends are reversing, with California seeing fewer people move out than before the Golden State remains one of the nation’s major “exit states.”
“At some point, it had to reverse,” he said to CNBC.
“But you don’t really see anything improving in California. They still have a lot of challenges, including cost of living, unemployment, and natural disaster challenges too. Everyone who was going to leave has left, but they are also benefiting from the AI boom, particularly in Northern California right now,” he said to CNBC
South Carolina leads again
Among all 50 states, South Carolina continues to shine as the top destination for movers. According to moveBuddha’s analysis of data from 2020 through October 2025, the Palmetto State ranked first for the sixth consecutive year, with movers showing more than double the interest in moving in than moving out.
One major factor behind the trend is the state’s combination of affordability and access to nature, which has helped spur job growth. South Carolina recorded one of the five highest net volumes of move-related searches, representing 13.7% of the total.
Carrigan adds that the state’s strong appeal among retirees also contributes to its popularity. “Younger people aren’t really moving and moving has been generally slower since covid-19,” he explained to CNBC
“South Carolina benefits from being a retiree state, which is still a good portion of people moving, and it’s also the story that there’s still affordability and housing availability.”
According to the Population Reference Bureau, 18.7% of South Carolina’s population is age 65 or older. The state remains an affordable option overall, ranked the 27th-cheapest state to live in, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Data from RentCafe shows that the cost of living is 9% lower than the national average, with housing costs 18% lower, though utilities run about 10% higher.
As of 2025, the average home value in South Carolina sits at $302,294, down 0.8% from the previous year, according to Zillow.
For many Americans, the decision to relocate to the South comes down to a simple equation: more space, lower costs, and a better quality of life. And for now, South Carolina seems to have gotten this balance right.