Where you live is a reflection of what's important to you. Which is to say, when making a move, you're generally looking at areas that have, or are close to, things you value. That's what one recent survey of movers found when asking participants what motivated their move.
The survey found that the top motivation was a desire to live closer to family, with 35 percent of respondents naming it as the reason behind relocating. The second most popular answer was a new job or company transfer, which was cited by 33 percent of survey participants. Retirement rounded out the top three.
Michael A. Stoll, an economist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, says there are a few common factors behind most moves. “Key factors like retirement, wanting to be closer to family, and lifestyle changes influenced by the pandemic, along with current housing prices, drove moving patterns in 2022,” Stoll said. He's right. Affordability was also a main motivator, as Americans – especially remote workers – continue to seek out areas to live where they can get more bang for their buck.
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