People are moving to these NC cities more than any others in 2023, report shows

Over the years, North Carolina has been among the fastest growing states., and according to a new report, it’s been one of the most popular states to move to in 2023.

A report from moveBuddha, a relocation technology company, sheds light on which cities and states people have been moving to and away from this year. North Carolina is among the top states seeing the biggest boom in population growth.

“South Carolina, North Carolina, and Montana are proven winners year after year after year — interest for moving to these states has outpaced moves out from 2020 through 2023,” the report says. “Of the most searched states with at least 10K mover queries, North Carolina, Florida, and Colorado are attracting the highest proportions of inflow in 2023.”

Asheville and Wilmington are among the top cities to move to in the U.S. Charlotte is making a post-pandemic comeback, as the most popular big city to move to in 2023, with more people moving in than out, the report says.

Since 2020, more people have been relocating to southeastern states and mountains in the west, in part due to the pandemic.

“Overall, areas with a lower cost of living, a steady climate, and better access to outdoor activities are seeing the most growth. More expensive areas will continue to see people leave as the cost of living becomes an even greater challenge,” the report says. “States like South Carolina and North Carolina continue to attract way more moves in than out in part due to their relative affordability and milder weather than their more expensive southern neighbors.”

Here’s where North Carolina falls on the list of popular states for new movers, and which cities in the state have been top destinations this year:

Most popular states of 2023 for new movers

1. South Carolina

2. Hawaii

3. Alaska

4. North Carolina

5. Montana

6. West Virginia

7. Tennessee

8. Arkansas

9. Maine

10. South Dakota

Top NC cities to move to in 2023

1. Asheville, NC

2. Ocala, FL

3. Myrtle Beach, SC

4. Dillion, CO

5. Greenville, SC

6. Saint Augustine, FL

7. Wilmington, NC

8. Franklin, TN

9. Pensacola, FL

10. Kissimmee, FL

“Why is Asheville so popular? Let us count the ways: an abundant access to nature, a vibrant music scene, and the city’s reputation as a foodie paradise make it the most popular American destination city in 2023,” the report says. “Myrtle Beach, SC, and Wilmington, NC, are two other uber-popular coastal Carolina destination cities. Wilmington’s large historic district, vibrant waterfront, and proximity to the “salt life” are a few reasons it’s one of America’s most popular cities.”

Big cities with the highest in-to-out ratio:

Methodology: To compile these lists, moveBuddha analyzed move trends based on data collected from 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 directly from the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator. The in-to-out ratio equation in the report to see which cities are gaining more residents by moves in than losing them via moves out is identified based on the number of queries for moves in divided by the number of queries for moves out. You can find the full report online here.