Here's how many out-of-staters are moving to Utah
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Utah is drawing fewer out-of-state movers than most other states, a new analysis finds.
The big picture: Of those who moved into a Utah home in 2024, just over 1 in 5 — about 95,000 — were from another state, according to an analysis of census data by rental listing site Point2Homes.
- That's slightly above the national average, but in the bottom half of all states.
Zoom in: About a quarter of those who moved in SLC were from out of state, per the report.
- That ranks No. 24 of 92 midsize cities that Point2Homes reviewed.
- Among smaller cities, Lehi had the biggest share of movers from out of state at more than 37%. Sandy had the smallest, at 8%.
By the numbers: Utahns are moving — mostly within Utah.
- 12.6% of Utahns in 2024 changed addresses during the previous year, per the report.
- That's the nation's 10th-highest share of movers, and above the 11% who moved nationally.
Catch up quick: Over time, Americans have become far less likely to move.
- Fewer people than ever moved in 2024, Point2Homes found. A decade ago, 14% of Americans moved; in the 1960s, that figure was 20%.
Threat level: 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."
Context: 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 report says.
The intrigue: While renters are far more likely to move than homeowners in Utah and nationally, those who moved to West Valley City from within the state were more likely to own their homes.