Asheville ranks No. 2 in the country for highest planned move-in vs. move-out ratio
ASHEVILLE – Asheville is the No. 1 move-to city in North Carolina and No. 2 in the country according to 2024 findings from moving cost estimate aggregator moveBuddha.
Asheville ranked No. 2 in the country for highest in-to-out move ratio at 3.29. This means that for every 329 planned moves to the area in 2024, there are only 100 current residents planning to leave the city. According to previous reporting by the Citizen Times, this marks a slight increase from 2023 data which showed a 3.01 ratio.
Census data backs this report, with records of 13.4% population growth in Asheville between 2010 and 2020. Most recent census data showed that the population as of July 1, 2022, was roughly 93,776.
The moveBuddha report also showed that the average home value in Asheville was around $453,000, relatively high compared to other top-ranking in-to-out cities.
Findings were pulled from an analysis of over 50,000 searches made from July 2023 through March 15, 2024, for moves planned in 2024 using moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator.
The top 10 cities for in-to-out migration ratios were:
The Villages, Florida – 4.38.
Asheville, North Carolina – 3.29.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – 3.22.
Billings, Montana – 2.41.
Decatur, Georgia – 2.39.
Chattanooga, Tennessee – 2.21.
Conroe, Texas – 2.14.
Cheyenne, Wyoming – 2.13.
Burlington, Vermont – 2.11.
Boulder, Colorado – 2.10.
Chief Operations Manager of Asheville Area Movers Kyle Donoughe told the Citizen Times that his team has seen a marked increase in clients over the years. However, some things have changed as housing prices have increased.
“Recently, with the interest rates being extremely high on purchasing new homes, we’ve seen a little less into homes and more into apartments,” Donoughe said.
Donoughe also spoke about what he believes is so appealing about Asheville, despite restrictive housing costs.
“You can go hiking almost year-round, golf year-round. There’s a million places to eat. I'd say the majority of complexes for apartments have gorgeous views for the mountains,” Donoughe said.
MoveBuddha spokesperson Chloe Ekberg described similar factors in an email to the Citizen Times.
“Asheville's popularity is reflective of a broader nationwide trend,” Ekberg said. “More people are favoring smaller cities with outdoor recreational options over larger metropolitan areas.”
She compared Asheville to cities like Billings, Montana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Boulder, Colorado; and Burlington, Vermont; which are also among the top 10 cities countrywide for 2024 in-to-out migration ratios.
Sean Lallouz, owner of Dry Ridge Moving, has also seen significant increases in numbers of movers. He told the Citizen Times that, due to high cost of living and issues many residents and potential movers have with securing suitable jobs, he believes that an increase in remote work opportunities nationwide has drawn more people to the area.
“It’s a lot easier if you can 'bring your own job' has been the refrain, and I think that’s gotten easier in the last few years,” Lallouz said.
Along with many movers from Florida and the Northeast, areas which Lallouz called “old standbys,” he has also seen an increase in clients migrating from Texas and California.
“I think as the cost of living there skyrockets, people are looking for more value from what we can offer,” Lallouz said. “Even though it seems overpriced to a lot of people here, for people there it still seems like a value.”
More: Asheville has highest move-in vs. move-out ratio in country: moving trends report
Iris Seaton is a trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville is #2 in the country for highest move-in vs. move-out ratio
