A massive influx of new residents made Florida one of the most popular U.S. states to move to from 2021 through 2023. In 2022, it became the country’s fastest-growing state for the first time since 1957, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The pandemic-fueled mass migration to Florida has slowed dramatically since 2024, though. According to a May 2025 report on nationwide moving trends from moving and storage company PODS, massive waves of people are still moving to the Southeast — but most are opting for Appalachian states, like the Carolinas and Tennessee.
Why? Mostly financial reasons…