People flocked to these NC cities in 2023. Now, they hold top spots on national lists
People moved to North Carolina in droves last year — and the state was home to three of the nation’s top places for people to settle down in 2023, new rankings show.
Charlotte ranks No. 7 in the country on a list of cities that gained new residents last year, according to the moving equipment company U-Haul.
The Charlotte region also topped United Van Lines’ similar list of the hottest larger metropolitan areas for growth. The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area didn’t land far behind in those rankings, and Wilmington was No. 2 among metro areas of all sizes when it came to the ratio of people moving into the region versus out.
The rankings come as both moving companies also listed North Carolina among the top 10 states attracting new people, according to results published Tuesday, Jan. 2.
How were the lists created?
To create its rankings, United Van Lines said it studied which U.S. metros had the highest percentage of people moving into them compared to those moving out of them.
Meanwhile, U-Haul made its list after it compared the number of one-way rentals coming into and out of each region. U-Haul cautions that its “migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth,” but calls its growth index “an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.”
What makes the NC destinations special?
Though U-Haul didn’t immediately share specific data for Charlotte, the metro area made its mark on the United Van Lines list after more than 1,800 people moved in or out. Roughly 64% of those moves were inbound, and 36% were outbound.
That made the Charlotte metropolitan area — which includes part of South Carolina — reign at the top of the 50 most populated metros. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill ranked No. 5 on that same list after the study found that almost 56% of its moves were inbound.
When both small and large metros were considered, Wilmington ranked among the nation’s favorite places to move. That might not come as a surprise, since Wilmington also was named the hottest place for growth in 2022. When it comes to qualities that might appeal to new residents, United Van Lines previously gave the city a nod for its “large historic district, vibrant riverfront” and proximity to popular coastal destinations.
In its latest report, United Van Lines listed job changes as the top reason for people to find new places to live, impacting 29% of respondents. The results come from a nationwide survey, and McClatchy News has asked for more information about how it was conducted.
Meanwhile, U-Haul said North Carolina may be enticing people with its mild weather and relative affordability.
“People are moving to North Carolina because it’s such a diverse state,” Kay Church, U-Haul of West Charlotte president, said in a news release. “We have mountains and beaches, small towns and big cities. You name it, you can find it in North Carolina.”
The moving results reflect the larger population trends happening in North Carolina. U.S. Census Bureau estimates show the state has welcomed new people from other states as the Wilmington, Charlotte and Raleigh areas all gained residents between 2020 and 2022.
On the United Van Lines list that spanned all population brackets, the highest-ranking metro was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The top region for growth on U-Haul’s list was Palm Bay-Melbourne, Florida.
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