“Where should I live?” This is a question you may find yourself asking numerous times throughout your life. As your circumstances change, different factors may emerge. For example, you may care more about living in a reputable school district once you have family than you did when you were in college. But for most of us, the following factors will always be relevant: cost of living and livability.
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So where should you live in 2025? You may start answering this question by finding out which cities are picking up steam, and which are cooling off in popularity. By analyzing its net long-distance moving numbers between January 2024 and March 2025, and comparing those to previous years, the moving and storage company PODs determined which U.S. metro areas that are gaining the most residents — and which cities are seeing the most people move out.
GOBankingRates sourced cost-of-living information, median household income averages and livability using data from PayScale and RentCafe, the U.S. Census Bureau and AreaVibes, respectively.
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The Cities Americans Are Moving To the Most
6. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
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Cost of living in Dallas, as compared to the national average: 2% higher
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Cost of living in Fort Worth, as compared to the national average: 4% lower
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Median household income in Dallas: $67,760
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Median household income in Fort Worth: $76,602
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Livability score in Dallas: 81/100
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Livability score in Fort Worth: 80/100
Learn More: Salary Needed To Achieve the American Dream in the 50 Largest Cities
5. Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina
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Cost of living in Greenville, as compared to the national average: 7% lower
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Cost of living in Spartanburg, as compared to the national average: 9% lower
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Median household income in Greenville: $74,624
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Median household income in Spartanburg: $64,195
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Livability score in Greenville: 82/100
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Livability score in Spartanburg: 75/100
4. Raleigh, North Carolina
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 2% lower
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Median household income: $82,424
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Livability score: 84/100
3. Ocala, Florida
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 14% higher
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Median household income: $53,520
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Livability score: 71/100
2. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 7% lower
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Median household income: $53,679
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Livability score: 67/100
1. Wilmington, North Carolina
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 4% lower
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Median household income: $63,900
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Livability score: 70/100
The Cities Americans Are Moving Out of the Most
6. Miami, Florida
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 19% higher
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Median household income: $59,390
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Livability score: 79/100
5. Long Island, New York
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: N/A
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Median household income: $128,329
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Livability score: 76/100
4. San Diego, California
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 44% higher
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Median household income: $104,321
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Livability score: 77/100
3. New Jersey (Central)
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average (Jersey City): 25% higher
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Median household income (in Jersey City): $94,813
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Livability score (Jersey City): 82/100
2. San Francisco, California
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 70% higher
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Median household income: $141,446
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Livability score: 79/100
1. Los Angeles, California
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Cost of living, as compared to the national average: 50% higher
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Median household income: $87,760
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Livability score: 70/100
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Americans Are Moving To — and Out of — These 12 Cities
