When it comes to moving, there are countless reasons people choose to relocate, and just as many ways to approach it. Nextdoor surveyed 1,000 users — or neighbors, as we like to call them — to explore emerging trends among movers.
The key takeaway: People aren’t moving as much compared to recent years. The number of moves per neighbor is down 15% year over year (YoY). And while most of these moves are local, a growing number of movers are leaving their major metropolitan area entirely. In fact, over a quarter (28%) were long-distance movers who traveled over 500 miles to their new homes. And more were going the distance, with that figure up 12% YoY.
What are the other trends we uncovered? Read on to find out.
When neighbors moved, a large number did so in the midwest and the southeast. The move rate in Grand Rapids, MI increased by 15% YoY, tied with Columbia, SC, and followed closely by Cincinnati, OH at 13%.
Moves to Cincinnati also accounted for a large proportion of long-distance relocations, which saw a 12% increase in movers from out of town. Louisville, KY also saw a significant increase in new residents from other metropolitan areas. That figure grew 13% YoY, which was the largest increase we saw of any area in the survey.
But when it came to net inflow — in other words, how many movers a state gained — the Carolinas and Florida came out on top.
But moving is a big decision, and there are varying priorities for neighbors who have decided to do so. The top three reasons prompting relocation were to be closer to family (30%), to live in a fresh/new space (20%), and to benefit from a lower cost of living (20%).
Long-distance movers, however, were 94% more likely to be motivated by the weather than local movers. And it makes sense. If you’re not a fan of the weather where you live, buying a house a few miles away isn’t going to make much of a difference.
The other reasons neighbors moved more than 500 miles included getting a new job, which was 78% more of a motivator than it was for local movers, and/or cost of living, which motivated long-distance movers 35% more to pack up and leave than it did their local counterparts.
A large majority of neighbors start planning their moves at least a month in advance. Sixty seven percent hire movers one to three months before they leave, which, for most, happens in the summer months.
While around a quarter of neighbors (24%) used Nextdoor to help them with their move, whether by finding movers or buying/selling belongings, a whopping 80% used Nextdoor to help get settled into their new neighborhood.
After relocating, neighbors were more likely to search for businesses and service providers after a move, like home security (up 50% post-move), a nanny/daycare (up 41% post-move), and dog walking services (up 31% post-move). The majority (66%) were also interested in information on local events and things to do once they had moved. Finding a new physician was another priority (up 48% post-move), especially for long-distance movers.
Within the first year of a move, more than half of neighbors purchased appliances for their new home. They also outfitted their home with new furniture and electronics — shopping for all of these household products spiked after a move.
Big-ticket items in particular were a focus for post-move acquisition:
Nextdoor users are moving all over the country for new jobs, family, and even weather, but they aren’t doing it alone. At each stage of their journey, they can rely on Nextdoor for local recommendations and insights they can trust. And with Nextdoor business accounts, you can be right there along with them.