Asheville has highest move-in vs. move-out ratio in country: moving trends report

ASHEVILLE - Despite the high cost of living, more people want to move in to Asheville than those who want to move out.

This is according to a national report from moveBuddha.com, an online moving estimate aggregator.

In the site's latest moving trends report, Asheville topped the list with a 3.01 inflow-to-outflow ratio. This means that for every 100 people who are interested in moving away from Asheville in 2023, 301 people are interested in moving into the area. The report uses U.S. Census data, as well as data regarding the number of movers who have used moveBuddha to move to, or away from, Asheville.

Between 2010 and 2020, Asheville's population grew 13.4%, and is now estimated at just under 94,000, according to U.S. Census estimates.

Here's the full moveBuddha moving trends report:

1. Asheville (3.1 in-to-out ratio)

2. Ocala, Fla. (2.94)

3. Myrtle Beach, S.C. (2.87)

4. Dillon, Colo. (2.46)

5. Greenville, S.C. (2.28)

6. Saint Augustine, Fla. (2.15)

7. Wilmington (2.02)

8. Franklin, Tenn. (2.0)

9. Pensacola, Fla. (1.99)

10. Kissimmee, Fla. (1.98)

What does it mean for local movers?

It's not the first time Asheville has been placed among the top cities seeing newcomers.

Earlier this year, Mayflower Transit, another national moving company, reported the city was sixth on the list of cities seeing more people moving to their location than away. At the same time, Redfin, a Seattle-based real estate brokerage company, reported homebuyers from large metro areas, like Charlotte, Miami or Austin, search the most frequently to move to Asheville.

For those who are moving people to the area, it seems the story is a little more complex — despite the sentiment of the moveBuddha report feeling true.

Local mover Sean Lallouz, who owns and runs Asheville-based Dry Ridge Moving, it "certainly feels true" that "more people are moving here from out of state."

"I've definitely felt like Austin has been on my radar, there's always been a consistent flow of people from New York, not necessarily just the city, but just that region — the Northeast." Lallouz said. "And we have, I would say, kind of an equal amount of people who move here from Florida or moving to Florida."

Being in the Ashville moving industry for 20 years, one of the big parts of being a mover is helping others deal with life changes, Lallouz said.

"A lot of times people are going through some sort of a massive upheaval in their life — life change, especially when they're coming from farther away," Lallouz said. "We saw a lot of that during the pandemic, where they are moving to be with family, or moving to live somewhere they've always dreamed of living."

For those moving to Asheville, moving to the area is sometimes a long sought-after dream — and not often for a job.

"Of course, some people are nervous about the transition, but I think the majority of people that I speak to — that are moving to Asheville — are doing so with bated breath. They're just super excited about something that they've been wanting to do for a while," Lallouz said.

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Housing affected by moving?

Patricia Mabe, office manager for Asheville's Smith Dray Line moving company, said many move to the area for second homes — yet, some second-homeowners may be selling in the region.

"We, because we have higher income in our retirement population up here, a lot of people are only here with a second home, and then they have other homes in other states," Mabe said. "We're seeing a lot of people selling their second homes like in Little Switzerland, in Burnsville and then down in Sapphire and Flat Rock."

For locals who are moving, a challenge is the hot housing market, Mabe said.

"We're hearing from a lot of customers that they're looking for housing, and it seems as soon as their realtor calls them and says 'Hey, I got a listing you want to look at?' 20 minutes later they're calling back and it's off the market," Mabe said.

During the third quarter of 2023, housing in the Buncombe area hit an all-time high, with Asheville homes hitting a record median sales price of $475,000. Median is different from average in as it means half of homes listed are above this price, half below.

Anita Whitmire, manager of Asheville Mini Storage in Enka, said many who use the storage facility are looking for housing and are often just movers "right here in the Asheville area."

"Younger people buying homes. Older people going into retirement centers," Whitemire said of the moving population.

Whitmire said many are in their "30's and 40's" with families who are trying to move into homes and need extra space.

For those who are moving to the area, Lallouz said recent changes in the Asheville market has emphasized a lack of opportunity for those who are younger.

"I would say that it does really feel true that more older and established people are moving here than than before," Lallouz said. "And that Asheville has kind of shed a portion of the idea that it's a younger city, because of the housing problem that we have here — and it's hard to find work that's not in the service industry."

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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him atWHofmann@citizentimes.com. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville ranks as highest inflow vs. outflow US city in 2023