Here's how many out-of-staters are moving to Atlanta
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America saw fewer moves than ever in 2024, according to an analysis of census data published this fall.
Driving the news: Roughly 1 in 9 people (11%) changed residences last year — a record low in data going back to 1948.
- That's down from around 14% a decade ago and 20% in the 1960s, according to an analysis by rental listing site Point2Homes.
Zoom in: 12% of movers, or 1.3 million people, in Georgia changed residences in 2024, Point2Homes' report indicates.
- Georgia attracted 266,483 people from other states, per the report.
The big picture: A sharp nationwide "decline in geographic mobility is the single most important social change of the past half century," The Atlantic's Yoni Appelbaum wrote earlier this year.
- In any decade, "the people who have moved have done better economically than the people who stayed behind," Appelbaum said on a podcast in August, discussing his book "Stuck."
- "The last 50 years, as we've stopped moving, have also seen [a] sudden atrophy and decay of our social and civic life."
- Appelbaum cites "discriminatory zoning laws" and "community gatekeeping" as major reasons mobility has stalled.
What they're saying: "Falling mobility also affects economic resilience by limiting labor market flexibility, slowing wage growth and potentially reducing innovation as workers are less likely to move for better opportunities," the Point2Homes report reads.
The report also shows Atlanta ranks 10th among large metropolitan areas that attracted the most people from other states.
- 22.7%, or 23,488 people who moved to Atlanta were from another state.
Zoom out: New Jersey (8%) and New York (9%) had the lowest shares of movers in 2024, while residents moved most in Alaska, Oklahoma, and Colorado, each around 14%.
- Wyoming (36%) and New Hampshire (35%) recorded the highest shares of new residents from other states.
Between the lines: Many who do move are going further afield, usually for housing affordability, climate resilience, or job opportunities.
- 19% of movers in 2024 changed states, and over 71% relocated to a different city, per Point2Homes.
What we're watching: If the young people who say they want to leave Atlanta will affect future mobility numbers.
The bottom line: While some may feel stuck, most Atlantans are particularly satisfied with the city, a new report finds.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the number of out-of-state movers to Georgia.