The Least Sticky States of 2024: The states residents are fleeing this year

Americans have a history of packing their Conestoga wagons and heading to places where life might be better. They’ve packed up their gold pans and railroad hammers. They’ve left family, friends, jobs, and schools for opportunities they couldn’t get at home.

While Americans to this day are some of the most mobile people in the world, some U.S. states have especially low “stickiness” — meaning they are prone to losing their residents to out-migration.

We wanted to know: which states are the least “sticky” in 2024?

We analyzed over 175,000 searches made in the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator this year to get real-time insights into where relocating Americans plan to move. By comparing user interest in moving assistance for out-of-state vs. in-state moves, we ranked all 50 states by their stickiness – their ability to keep relocating residents within state lines.

We aligned these rankings with statewide economic data and quality-of-life indicators to see which factors might contribute to a state’s lack of stickiness.

Big Takeaways

• Across all states, of residents using moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator, 74% search to exit their state, and 26% plan to remain within their state borders.
• Alaska is the least sticky state in the U.S. Only 10% of its prospective movers in 2024 plan to stay in-state.
• The Mountain West is home to 7 of the 10 least sticky states of 2024.
• High cost of living is associated with low stickiness. High real estate prices are also associated with more move intent, even if prices haven’t increased much in recent years.
• 8 of the 10 least sticky states are gaining new residents from out-of-state. Ignoring the non-state District of Columbia, these states maintain positive in-to-out move ratios despite low stickiness: Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and New Hampshire.

Overall findings: Which states are the least sticky in 2024?

7 of the 10 least sticky states are western mountain retreats with plenty of boomtowns and a long history of economic wins and losses.

In the Northeast, the District of Columbia and New York are some of the most popular destinations for jobs, with a continuous influx and outflow of residents. New Hampshire stands out as the only New England state on the list.

The nation’s least sticky states are also some of its most popular destinations for moves in 2024. For example, the #2 least sticky state, Montana, has had the highest in-to-out move ratio in the country since 2020, averaging 2.37 new residents from beyond state lines for every Montana who leaves.

1. Alaska

The Last Frontier’s minuscule 10% retention rate among prospective movers in 2024 reflects its sky-high cost of living. While Alaska boasts below-average housing values and home costs creeping up more slowly than 48 other states, other household expenses reflect steep shipping costs to this arctic outpost.

2. Montana

Between its low population density, rural economy, and skyrocketing ski-town realty prices (house values have risen 61% since 2020), Montana loses 87% of its movers to other states.

3. Wyoming

Deer and antelope play on the range in Wyoming, but 86% of movers in 2024 plan to relocate out of state. While the state has healthy GDP growth (ranking #8 overall),  it has bottom-half job growth.  It seems the positive industrial and population growth in the Equality State isn’t translating to work, and, ultimately stickiness, yet. But it is one of this year's top move-to destinations.

4. District of Columbia

Getting voted out is always a risk in the nation’s capital, and with just 16% of residential move searches expressing that they’ll stay in the District, it seems turnover here is as predictable as the election cycle. Additional out-moves may come from area residents seeking the larger lots, better schools, and the slower pace of life they’ll find outside the Beltway.

5. Idaho

Idaho boasted the highest job growth in the nation from 2020 to 2024, but along with this boom has come the highest inflation and the seventh-highest real estate value increases of any state. The result is that the Gem State has been a popular destination for people moving in from out-of-state, but it isn’t holding onto its residents long-term.

6. Nevada

Just 19% of Silver State residents looking to move are expressing that they’ll stay in the state. With inflation over 20% and housing costs up nearly 40% since 2020, it could be that new residents taking a gamble on Nevada are finding they can’t keep up with all the new players.

7. New York

New York has seen an exodus in recent years, and currently has the #11 worst move-out ratio. It comes in at #7 on our list of least sticky states, with only 20% of its prospective movers searching for relocation assistance within the state. With no significant job growth since 2020 and the country’s 4th-highest cost of living, New Yorkers can’t afford to stay.

8. Arizona

Along with its climate, Arizona’s growth has been hot. However, with steep housing cost increases (54% over the last 4 years), just 20% of Copper Staters today are searching for relocations within the state.

9. New Mexico

Its GDP is growing at half the rate of Arizona’s, and its job growth is lackluster. It’s no wonder that New Mexico stands to shed residents at the same rate as its western neighbor, with 80% of out-movers disenchanted with the Land of Enchantment. Maybe it's the 47% increase in home values over the last 4 years.

10. New Hampshire

New Hampshire residents may live free, but 20% of movers this year are looking for moving assistance to head out of state. Amidst low GDP growth and job creation, real estate prices have soared 58% since 2020.

Why are these states’ residents fleeing this year?

When we compared economic factors to move intent, we found that high cost of living and unaffordable real estate values were associated with lower stickiness, while factors like job and GDP growth have almost no impact on intent to leave the state.

In short, high overall costs mean more residents will call it quits, even though newcomers may still find the state appealing.

Many of these states have grown their populations enough to see local prices soar and locals panic. Real estate prices increase, and more newcomers come, but others are forced to leave an economy that’s leaving them behind.

States that want to retain more residents in 2025 will have to balance a booming economy and the higher prices that accompany it. Until then, Americans in these states will continue to set off to find their fortunes elsewhere.

Methodology

We analyzed searches from moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator from January 1, 2024 through August 8, 2024, a total of 175,000 relocations searches.

For each state we looked only at movers originating from that state and calculated the proportion planning to remain in their state (sticky) vs. those planning move out. The states with the highest proportion of moves exiting their state are those that are the least sticky states of 2024.

For the economic data and quality-of-life indicators we referred to state-level data from the BEA, BLS, U.S. Census, MERIC, JEC, Zillow, and CDC.