EVANSVILLE, IND. (Dec. 3, 2025) — Atlas® Van Lines today released its annual Migration Patterns Study, revealing where people are – or are not – moving. The 2025 study gauges moving trends across the United States, Canada, and beyond by measuring Atlas customers’ interstate, interprovincial, and international moves from Nov. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2025.

In 2025, Atlas’ interstate moves held steady compared to years past, aligning with recent U.S. Census data. Despite this, overall mobility remains low today, primarily due to affordability constraints such as the high cost of homeownership and limited inventory. The continued volume of interstate moves, even as the median age of first-time homebuyers climbs and home sales slow, highlights the industry's role as a consistent facilitator of necessary life and professional transitions amidst challenging market conditions.

“Americans are still moving, albeit at changing rates. Some areas of the mobility industry, mainly interstate moves, remain constant year-to-year; there are always regions and industries that are continuing to relocate,” said Ryan McConnell, President and COO of Atlas Van Lines. “However, the mobility market shifts rapidly. Our industry needs to be proactive in preparation while also being agile when responding to changes in the mobility, job, and housing markets.”

2025 Data

The Migration Patterns Study shows a wide spread of inbound and outbound states. In the southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee ranked high on the inbound list. Arkansas leads the list at #1, with 38% of its inbound moves going to the Walmart HQ city of Bentonville. Arkansas is the only state where a majority of its inbound moves went to one city; in the remaining inbound states, moves were spread throughout the state.

In the Great Plains, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming saw some of the highest rates of outbound moves, with Sioux Falls, South Dakota, recording the most by city. However, the leading outbound state was Louisiana for the second year in a row. Notably, three of the five outbound states from 2024 have moved to a balanced position: California, Illinois, and New York. This reflects the widespread “lock-in effect,” in which many homeowners are choosing not to move at all.

Canadian Provinces

Per Atlas® Van Lines Canada data, Canadians generally moved to more northern, coastal provinces from the central provinces. The top four inbound were New Brunswick, Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alberta, whereas the top three outbound were Quebec, Manitoba, and Ontario.

Meanwhile, Atlas® World Group International reported the following trends in overseas relocation:

Methodology

Each state’s, province’s, and country’s inbound/outbound status is determined by its threshold value, which is the total number of shipments multiplied by 0.55 (i.e., in a state with 100 moves, at least 55 must be outgoing to be considered outbound). All other states or provinces in which outbound or inbound numbers do not exceed the threshold are classified as balanced. Canadian interprovincial and cross-border (from the U.S. to Canada) shipments are both referenced in the study.

To view the full results of the 2025 Migration Patterns Study, along with a nationwide map, regional trends, and historical data, visit www.atlasvanlines.com/resources/migration-patterns.

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About Atlas® Van Lines

Atlas Van Lines Inc., a national moving company, is the largest subsidiary of Atlas World Group Inc., an Evansville, Indiana-based company. Atlas World Group companies employ nearly 700 people throughout North America. Nearly 350 Atlas interstate moving agents in the United States and Canada specialize in corporate relocation, household moving services, and in the specialized transportation of high-value items such as electronics, fine art, store fixtures, and furniture. For more information, visit www.atlasvanlines.com.