10/16/2026
North Carolina is now the No. 1 destination for Americans moving from one state to another.
It pulled in 84,064 more people than it lost in the latest Census data, beating Texas at 67,299.
South Carolina came in third at 66,622, and my home state of Tennessee was fourth at 42,389.
Texas and Florida spent most of the last decade at the top of these lists.
Now United Van Lines classifies both as balanced, meaning about as many people are moving out as moving in.
Why North Carolina is winning:
A flat 3.99% state income tax
Home prices well below the Northeast
Tech and biotech jobs in the Research Triangle
Charlotte's banking economy
Mountains and beaches in the same state
Texas is still growing, but homeowners insurance there is up 79% in six years and property taxes keep climbing.
Florida's insurance problems have hit coastal homeowners especially hard.
California and New York continue to lose more residents than any other states, with California down 229,100 and New York down 137,600.
To be fair, Texas and Florida still lead in total population growth once you count people moving in from other countries.
But when Americans pick up their own families and choose a new state, the Carolinas are getting the first look.
People don't move for a single reason.
They move when the math stops working where they are, and right now the math is pointing to states with reasonable taxes, decent jobs, and housing that doesn't require two six-figure incomes.
