Where are people moving the most in the US? This Western WA city is a top draw

Looking to relocate? A Western Washington city is among the top spots for transplants, according to a new report on spring moving trends.

Moving company MoveBuddha recently ranked the U.S. states and cities with the most inbound residents in early 2026, as well as the spots across the nation facing the biggest exoduses.

Movers are being drawn to “buyer-friendly states with jobs and suburban enclaves where a mortgage won’t break the bank,” MoveBuddha co-founder Ryan Carrigan wrote in an April 21 article.

“Places with strong local culture, real university influence and outdoor appeal are drawing attention, too,” Carrigan said.

Where are people moving the most in Washington?

In Washington state, one city ranked among the top 10 cities where people are moving the most, MoveBuddha said.

Bellingham took third place on the list, trailing behind Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and St. Augustine in Florida.

According to MoveBuddha, people using its moving cost calculator in January, February and March searched for moves to Bellingham 2.5 times more than they searched for moves out of the Western Washington city.

“Movers continue to flock to smaller cities where their daily lives are even more human-sized,” Carrigan said, following “a trend that we’ve seen from recent years.”

Why are people relocating to Bellingham?

Smaller metropolitan areas “offer a balance of economic opportunities and quality of life,” Carrigan said, as well as access to the outdoors.

“From hiking and biking trails to kayaking and paddleboarding on Lake Whatcom, adventure is always just around the corner” in the Bellingham area, local real estate firm The Levain Team states on its website.

“Bellingham boasts easy access to world-class skiing at Mt. Baker, making it a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts too,” the Bellingham-based company said.

Bellingham boasts a “youthful” vibe and a “great reputation (as) a fun and outdoorsy town,” according to Neighbors Moving Seattle, a relocation service.

“This eco-friendly community appreciates local restaurants supported by local farmers,” Neighbors Moving Seattle said, along with a “wide variety of live music” in open-air public spaces.

Bellingham’s location is another draw, the relocation service said, noting the Whatcom County’s proximity to Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada.

What are top 10 cities for movers in 2026?

So far in 2026, movers are favoring cities in the Sunbelt the most, MoveBuddha said, with destinations in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina dominating the top 10 list.

These cities saw the most inbound movers this spring, based on moving calculator searches:

1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
2. St. Augustine, Florida
3. Bellingham
4. Portland, Maine
5. Ocala, Florida
6. Fort Collins, Colorado
7. Kissimmee, Florida
8. The Villages. Florida
9. Wilmington, North Carolina
10. Boulder, Colorado

How did MoveBuddha rank top cities for spring moves?

MoveBuddha said it used its own proprietary data, collected from 2020 through March 27, to analyze relocation trends.

“We examined 78,000 searches made in the first three months of 2026, using MoveBuddha’s moving cost calculator,” the site said.

Julia Hawkins

The Bellingham Herald

Julia Hawkins joined The Herald as a service journalism and general assignment reporter in December 2025. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism at Western Washington University in Bellingham.