Millions of Americans moved to another state last year, but one surprising southern state was the most popular.
Arkansas was the number one state for attracting newcomers in 2024, according to a study by moving company Atlas Van Lines.
“We have one of the lowest costs of living in the United States,” said real estate agent Heather Keenen, who lives in the state. he told Realtor.com.
“Add to that the tax cuts and low crime rates, and we continue to see an influx daily.”
Bentonville, in northwest Arkansas, where Walmart is based, is seeing a particular influx, Keenan said.
“People are flocking to places that have strong job markets and affordability, but also extra space, fantastic food and a welcoming culture,” he said. “Here in northwest Arkansas, we certainly have all that going for us.”
The second-highest influx of newcomers, according to the study, was Rhode Island.
North Carolina, Washington, DC, Idaho, Tennessee, Maine, Connecticut, Washington and Alaska followed.
Arkansas was the number one state in attracting newcomers in 2024
Three of the top 10 states, Tennessee, Washington and Alaska, do not have a state income tax.
“I think the state of the economy greatly influenced these decisions to relocate to states without income taxes,” Holden Andrews, founder of real estate investment firm Help Home Group, told Realtor.com.
“With prices rising on everything from groceries to gasoline, many people are looking for places where their paychecks can go further,” Andrews explained.
“A lower cost of living combined with the availability of employment or the flexibility of remote work in these states makes them especially attractive.”
However, only 10 percent of those who moved out of state in the last three years did so for affordability reasons, according to Atlas Van Lines.
In addition to having a lower cost of living than many other states, Arkansas is also famous for its scenery of mountains, lakes, rivers, hot springs, and forests.
The rugged Ozarks region in the northwest of the so-called “Natural State” features hiking trails and limestone caves.
The study measured interstate, interprovincial and international movements of Atlas customers between November 2023 and October 2024.
“We have one of the lowest costs of living in the United States,” said Arkansas-based real estate agent Heather Keenen (pictured: Eureka Springs).
Arkansas is also famous for its landscape of mountains, lakes, rivers, hot springs and forests (pictured: The Hawksbill Crag in Arkansas)
Bentonville in northwest Arkansas (pictured), which is home to Walmart’s headquarters, is seeing a particular influx of newcomers.
According to the study, 32 percent of Americans moved to look for a new job, 25 percent moved to be closer to friends or family, and 33 percent cited various other factors.
Connecticut, which was also named among the top 10 most popular places for Americans to move, also saw three of its cities included in Realtor.com’s recent Hottest Markets list.
Connecticut cities like Hartford have very low average home prices compared to other places in the US.
One median home price that’s hard to beat is $178,696 for a home in Hartford.
The popular Connecticut town also had one of the lowest mortgage rates among major housing markets: 6.5 percent.
Tennessee was also among the most popular states to move to, and Knoxville was recently ranked among the hottest real estate markets in the country.
The median home value in Knoxville is $350,614, which is almost $100,000 less than the average in Nashville, Tennessee.
Homebuyers looking for their forever home in the area can choose from one of the more than 1,500 properties currently on the market.
Buyers may also have a good chance of purchasing a home, as 58.3 percent of Knoxville sales were made below the listing price.