Renters in Alabama aren’t moving. Here’s what the data shows.
Tenants aren’t moving as often as they used to. According to U.S. Census data, Alabama renter mobility rates declined from 29.1% in 2014 to 22.4% in 2024, marking a continued decline in renter mobility seen each time the Census publishes data. The states with the highest renter mobility are Utah (30.8%), Colorado (29.2%), and Idaho (29.1%), while the states with the lowest are New York (13.4%), New Jersey (15.5%), and California (16.0%).
Several factors have likely contributed to the decline in tenant moves, most notably homeowners holding onto their properties longer due to today’s elevated mortgage rates. Regardless of the exact reason, renters and homeowners alike face an evolving housing landscape and should be prepared for it.
In this article, TurboTenant explores why renters are staying put longer in Alabama, what low turnover means for homebuyers and tenants, how that affects renters’ expectations and landlords’ bottom lines, and what these trends mean for the housing market moving forward.
Both owners and renters are moving less
It isn’t just tenants who are staying put. According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, U.S. households changed addresses at a rate of 11.2% in 2024, the lowest figure on record in the American Community Survey. While that number might sound unremarkable, it’s down about 25% from 2006, when moving rates were at 15%…