Arkansas emerges as top destination for movers in 2025

Arkansas topped the nation as the most popular destination for movers in 2025, according to a new Migration Patterns Study released Thursday by Atlas Van Lines.

The annual study, which tracks Atlas customers’ interstate, interprovincial and international moves from Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31, 2025, found Arkansas ranked No. 1 among inbound states, outpacing Idaho and North Carolina.

Despite high housing costs and limited inventory nationwide, interstate moving levels held steady compared with recent years.

Arkansas stood apart from other inbound states because a majority of its new residents moved to a single city. The study shows 38% of Arkansas’ inbound moves were tied to Bentonville, home of Walmart’s headquarters. In other inbound states, relocations were more evenly distributed.

“Americans are still moving, albeit at changing rates,” Atlas President and Chief Operating Officer Ryan McConnell said in a statement. He noted that employment shifts and life transitions continue to fuel relocations even as affordability pressures reduce overall mobility.

The report cites the growing “lock-in effect,” in which homeowners are choosing not to move as mortgage rates rise and home prices remain elevated. Louisiana ranked as the top outbound state for the second year in a row, followed by West Virginia and Wyoming. Several states that previously saw high outbound movement, including California, Illinois and New York, shifted to a more balanced position in 2025.

Image: Roger Chavers