A new job, a new city, a new school district. Those changes usually come before a mortgage application. And the data makes that clear: renting is still the dominant first step for most movers, especially when the move crosses state lines.
Nationally, about 27.5% of interstate movers own a home in their first year after moving. That means that nearly three-quarters start out as renters. That share drops even further for international movers. In contrast, households that move locally—within the same county—are much more likely to buy right away.
This pattern isn’t new. In fact, it’s been remarkably consistent over time.
Looking back nearly two decades, the share of interstate movers who own their homes has followed the broader housing market conditions. In the mid-2000s, roughly 30% of interstate movers were homeowners. That share fell sharply during the housing bust, bottoming out below 20% in the early 2010s. As the market recovered, homeownership among movers gradually increased, reaching the mid-20% range by the late 2010s.
Then came the pandemic.
In 2020 and 2021, the share of interstate movers buying homes rose above 30%, peaking near 33%. Ultra-low mortgage rates, remote work flexibility, and a surge of relocations made purchasing a home financially feasible for many households. But by 2024, the share of interstate movers who own a home is back to 27.5%, almost exactly where it was in 2019. Higher mortgage rates and weak affordability have pushed more movers back to renting first, even if homeownership remains the long-term goal.
But here’s where the story gets interesting.
While the national average tells us that most interstate movers rent initially, some metro areas are clearly defying that trend. In markets like Daphne–Fairhope–Foley, Alabama; Naples–Marco Island, Florida; Ocala, Florida; Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, North Carolina; and Rockford, Illinois, well over half of interstate movers become homeowners right away—in some cases, more than 70%.
What these markets have in common is a combination of relative affordability, available housing stock, and strong in-migration. For many movers, especially those relocating from higher-cost areas, buying a home is easier in these markets. It’s also not a coincidence that many of these markets are well-known retirement destinations. For older adults, moving often comes with built-in equity from a previous home sale. This matters because it helps explain why local housing conditions can look so different from national headlines.
Nationally, affordability pressures are still very real. For many households, especially younger movers or those facing higher borrowing costs, renting provides flexibility, time to learn a new market, or an opportunity to save. The data shows that the farther the move, the more common this renting-first trend becomes. But at the local level, the story changes.
For REALTORS®, this is critical. Interstate movers are not a single group, and their housing choices depend significantly on where they move. In some markets, movers represent future buyers. In others, they are buyers right away. Even after major market shifts, from the housing crash to the pandemic surge, interstate movers have consistently hovered around the same level over time. What changes is where those buyers show up. Understanding how people move and how they choose to live when they get there provides a clearer picture of local housing demand.
Copyright NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission.
Do you need real estate services?
Contact Us!
Contact our offices in Pottstown or Collegeville!
Collegeville: 610-489-5900
Pottstown: 610-326-1200
OR through our social media pages!
Facebook and Instagram at “REMAXAchieversAgentsinPA”
Instagram:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SouthEasternPARealEstateSalesAgents
How RE/MAX Achievers Can Help You!
With talented and award-winning realtors, years of experience, and thousands of happy customers, you know that you can trust RE/MAX Achievers with all your home needs! Whether you’re buying or selling in or around the Royersford real estate market, RE/MAX Achievers is here to help. We know more than anybody the stress that comes with maneuvering the real estate market, and we don’t want you to face it alone! Everybody deserves the home they love, and we want to help you find it!
RE/MAX Achievers sold over $1 Billion Dollars in real estate during the last 5 years! RE/MAX was voted 2024’s number one real estate brand. RE/MAX Achievers Broker/Owner, John E. Ohler has stated he “is so proud of our accomplishments thanks to the surrounding communities. RE/MAX is a household name!” RE/MAX Achievers was awarded the 2022 RE/MAX President Club Award and the 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 RE/MAX Achievement of Excellence Award! RE/MAX was voted the 2024, 2023, 2022 MOST Trusted Real Estate brand and agents. RE/MAX Achievers offers real estate services in 5 counties: Montgomery, Chester, Berks, Bucks and Philadelphia counties. There’s truly nobody more fit to help you with buying a homet.
Don’t stress about buying or selling a home, call the Achievers today!
#GetItSold #RemaxHustle #GetSoldByRemax #Justlisted #REMAXAchieversrealestate #AwardWinningAgents #Remaxisthebest #RemaxSells #JustSoldbyREMAXAchievers #REMAX #RealEstateInvestments #REMAXAchieversAgentsinPA #HomesforSaleREMAXAchieversPA #REMAX #REMAXAchievers #REMAXrentals #AchieversPA #JustSoldbyREMAXAchievers #REMAX #mortgageprequalified #mortgagepreapproval #REMAXSellsMontgomeryCountyHomesForSale #Remaxachieverspa #Achieversfamily #Ourrealestatefamily #remax #remaxhustle #realestate #callremax #realty #broker #forsale #newhome #newconstruction #househunting #property #realestate #investment #home #housing #mortgage #foreclosure #selling #justlisted #justsold #openhouse #PArealestate #Homeforsale #firsttimehomebuyer #Chestercountyrealestate #realestateinvestment #MainLinerealestate #MainLinehomeforsale #DelawareCountyrealestate #remaxachievers #justlisted #HistoricHomeforsale #MontgomeryCountyhomeforsale #MontgomeryCountyrealestate #Phoenixvillehomeforsale #SoldByREMAX #Pottsgrovehomeforsale #Collegevillehomeforsale #BuyinCollegeville #Collegevillerealestate #Phoenixvillerealestate #soldinoneday #chestercountyrealestatemarket #soldinfivedays #remaxjustsold #REMAXhustle #REMAXopenhouse #remaxachienvers #remaxrealestate #MainLinerealestate #JustListedbyREMAXAchieversPA #Collegeville #chestercountyrealestate #soldfast #BuyingCollegeville #Collegevillerealestate #Schwenksvillerealestatemarket #Schwenksvillehomesforsale #SchwenksvillePArealestate #justsoldbyremaxachievers #homeforsaleinRoyersfordPA #HomeforsaleSpringfordschooldistrict #Springfordschooldistrict #Royersfordhomseforsale #Pottstownhomesforsale #Birdsborohomesforsale #Douglassvillehomesforsale #Limerickhomesforsale #Stowehomesforsale #Skippackhomesforsale #OwenJRobertsSchoolDistrict #PerkiomenValleySchoolDistrict #BoyertownhomesforSale #BuyHome #CondosforSale #RealEstateMarketTrends #Appraisal #Townhomesforsale #Appraisal #Buyingahouse #FHALoans #House4Sale #RealEstateAgent
