Chicago among top “cities to move to,” according to moving company PODS | Radio WGN 720

Kelsey Thompson and Jeremy Tanner

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AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) – Which U.S. cities did the most people move into (and out of) last year?

Moving and storage company PODS revealed its data showing which cities across the country attracted the most new residents and which ones packed up and left the most.

You may have seen the Clearwater, Florida-based company’s shipping containers on your neighborhood driveways. The company, which started in 1998, allows shippers to fill PODS with their belongings and then ship them to the new address.

Chicago ranked seventh in the new PODS listings. However, that’s better than the list from 2023, when the city ranked in the third-highest tier for move-ins.

Cities with the highest levels of moving

1. Los Angeles, California (ranked first in 2023)
2. San Francisco area, Northern California (2nd place in 2023)
3. Miami area, South Florida (5th place in 2023)
4. Long Island, New York, serving parts of New York City (ranked 4th in 2023)
5. Austin, Texas (unranked in 2023)
6. Central Jersey, New Jersey (6th place in 2023)
7. Chicago, Illinois (3rd in 2023)
8. San Diego, California (14th place in 2023)
9. Stockton-Modesto, California (9th place in 2023)
10. Hudson Valley, New York (11th in 2023)
11. Santa Barbara, California (10th in 2023)
12. Denver, Colorado (18th in 2023)
13. Boston, Massachusetts (unranked in 2023)
14. Baltimore, Maryland (12th in 2023)
15. Hartford, Connecticut (20th place in 2023)
16. Portland, Oregon (unranked in 2023)
17. Fresno, California (unranked in 2023)
18. Bakersfield, California (unranked in 2023)
19. Northern New Jersey, serving parts of New York City (ranked 15th in 2023)
20. Minneapolis, Minnesota (unranked in 2023)

PODS data found that California had the highest concentration of moves among U.S. states, with seven cities or regions represented in PODS’ top 20 rankings.

In Texas, the once-hot Austin market made its first appearance in the PODS rankings. Declining housing affordability and inaccessibility are two of the factors contributing to these declines, according to PODS data. The analysis also suggested that current uncertainties and layoffs within the tech industry — a major industry that moved operations and staff to the Texas capital during the pandemic — could also be giving residents pause over whether they should continue living in Austin. .

The moving company also pointed to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau that found Austin had a smaller net gain of new residents, based on July 2023 estimates.

Another Texas city, Houston, is experiencing an increase in new residents arriving in the city. Houston ranked third among cities where PODS recorded the highest volume of moves.

Among these classifications there was a clear trend of those moving to the Carolinas. PODS data found that the two states’ costs of living tend to reflect the national average, while the regions offer beaches, mountains, green spaces and strong metropolitan cities along with a four-season climate and strong arts and cultural scenes.

Cities with the highest levels of moving

1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina (also ranked first in 2023)
2. Ocala, Florida (4th place in 2023)
3. Houston, Texas (5th place in 2023)
4. Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina (10th place in 2023)
5. Charlotte, North Carolina (16th in 2023)
6. Raleigh, North Carolina (20th place in 2023)
7. Phoenix, Arizona (18th in 2023)
8. Knoxville, Tennessee (7th place in 2023)
9. Jacksonville, Florida (8th place in 2023)
10. Asheville, North Carolina (17th in 2023)
11. Boise, Idaho (15th in 2023)
12. Portland, Maine (13th in 2023)
13. Nashville, Tennessee (11th in 2023)
14. Atlanta, Georgia (not ranked in 2023)
15. Johnson City, Tennessee (unranked in 2023)
16. Huntsville, Alabama (unranked in 2023)
17. Dover, Delaware (unranked in 2023)
18. Orlando, Florida (3rd in 2023)
19. Savannah, Georgia (19th in 2023)
20. Greensboro, North Carolina (unranked in 2023)

More details about the PODS analysis can be found online.