New Data Reveals North Carolina Is a Key Destination as Southeast Led Population Shifts in 2025
U.S. Heatmap of U.S. Migration
SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, February 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Americans didn’t stop moving in 2025, but they moved differently, and North Carolina continued to benefit from that shift, according to new migration data released by HireAHelper.
Of the almost 15M moves analyzed, 78.5% of moves happened within the same state, leaving only 21.5% of moves to cross state lines. The result? Migration pressure intensified in specific states and metro areas, particularly across the Southeast and in smaller, fast-growing markets, like those in North Carolina.
“North Carolina stood out in 2025 because it delivered on what movers want most right now: jobs, livability, and value,” said Nicolas Graham, SVP and GM at HireAHelper. “North Carolina ranked among the top states for inbound migration, showing sustained demand rather than a short-term surge.”
North Carolina Part of a Broader Southeast Migration Surge
The 2026 HireAHelper Moving Migration Report shows North Carolina ranked as one of the nation’s top destinations in 2025, gaining the third-highest number of net new residents overall, behind only Texas and South Carolina.
In 2025, 30,947 more people moved into North Carolina than left the state, reinforcing its position as a key migration hub within the Southeast. When adjusted for population size, North Carolina ranked eighth nationally, gaining 29.2 residents per 10,000 people.
The data highlights how North Carolina continues to benefit from both regional and national migration trends. While larger states posted the biggest raw gains, North Carolina’s strong per-capita ranking shows that population growth is being felt meaningfully across housing markets, job centers, and public infrastructure statewide.
Smaller and Mid-Sized Metros Reshaped Migration Patterns
At the metro level, the report finds that small and mid-sized markets consistently outperformed larger cities on a per-capita basis, and North Carolina metros featured prominently in national rankings.
Among the strongest-performing North Carolina metro areas in 2025 were:
-Wilmington, NC metro area – ranked 4th nationally
-Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC metro area – ranked 17th
-Raleigh–Cary, NC metro area – ranked 24th
-Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC–SC metro area – ranked 32nd
-Winston-Salem, NC metro area – ranked 38th
Additional North Carolina metros also appeared in the national rankings, including Asheville (88th), Greensboro–High Point (120th), Durham–Chapel Hill (137th), and Fayetteville (198th).
These rankings reflect a broader shift toward markets that offer a balance of employment opportunity, livability, and relative affordability, without the congestion or costs associated with the nation’s largest cities. The strong showing across multiple North Carolina metros underscores the state’s diverse appeal, from coastal communities to growing inland job centers.
Jobs and Regional Access Outweighed Pure Affordability
The report shows that affordability alone does not determine where Americans move. In 2025, states with the lowest cost of living did not automatically attract the most residents. Instead, migration consistently flowed toward states that offered strong employment opportunities and access to growing regional job markets, even when overall living costs were closer to the national average.
North Carolina reflects this pattern clearly. While the state ranked 28th nationally for cost of living, it continued to attract new residents due to its diverse metro economies, expanding employment base, and broad range of housing options across multiple regions. From research and technology hubs to manufacturing and logistics corridors, the state’s economic diversity helped sustain inbound migration despite not being among the lowest-cost destinations.
Overall, the data suggests Americans are increasingly prioritizing career stability, job mobility, and regional opportunity over simply relocating to the cheapest possible market – a shift that continues to favor states like North Carolina.
About the 2026 HireAHelper Moving Migration Report
The 2026 HireAHelper Moving Migration Report is the fifth annual edition of HireAHelper’s nationwide migration study. The analysis is based on a database of adult moves recorded between January and December 2025.
Moving beyond the limitations of lagging government data and small-scale corporate samples, this report utilizes a massive dataset of almost 15 million actual moves. This allows us to bypass the statistical noise inherent in smaller studies, offering a comprehensive and geographically granular analysis of U.S. migration.
The full report includes:
-State- and city-level migration rankings
-Per-capita migration heatmaps
-Demographic and income-based breakdowns
-An interactive comparison tool for local and national analysis
About HireAHelper
HireAHelper is the easiest way to book affordable moving companies on demand—whether you need full service movers or help loading your truck or container. You can compare quotes from trusted local movers and book in minutes, with no phone calls or in-home estimates required. With over 1 million moves completed, a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot from 9,100+ verified reviews, and nearly two decades in business, HireAHelper combines savings, flexibility, and trust to make moving easier than ever.
To learn more and read the full report, visit HireAHelper.com
Lauren Thomas
HireAHelper
press@hireahelper.com
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