State-by-State Migration Data: Where Americans Are Moving
Texas gained the most households from other states in the latest IRS data (+56,473 net tax returns), followed by Florida (+55,349) and North Carolina (+39,118). California lost the most (-100,397), then New York (-71,987). 26 states gained and 24 lost. Source: IRS Statistics of Income state-to-state migration files, latest release.
The single largest move was California to Texas: 44,417 households with an average income of $107K. This page shows, for every state, how many households arrived and left, where they came from and went, and what they earn. Every number is read directly from the IRS files.
How the data works →Interstate Migration by the Numbers
The national picture behind the state rankings. Each figure is a count of federal tax returns that moved between states, which the IRS uses as a proxy for households.
- Households moved
- 3.93M
- Filed from a different state than the year before
- Gaining / losing
- 26 / 24
- States with net gain vs. net loss
- Biggest gainer
- TX +56.5K
- Texas · net households
- Biggest loser
- CA -100.4K
- California · net households
- Largest corridor
- CA → TX
- 44.4K households, avg AGI $107K
- Movers' avg income
- $84K
- Adjusted gross income, all interstate movers
Read the national overview
About 3.9 million households crossed a state line, according to the latest IRS release. The South absorbed a net 226.0K of them, with 12 of its 14 states gaining, and 6 of the 10 biggest gainers are in the South. The West lost a net 44.9K, the Midwest lost a net 54.1K, and the Northeast lost a net 128.7K. Texas and Florida alone captured 36% of all net gains, but scaled to population the leader is South Carolina at +5.2 households per 1,000 residents. Money moved with people: 22 of the 50 states took in households that earn more than the ones they lost, led by Florida, where arrivals average $123K against $76K for departures. 5 of the 10 biggest gainers (Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Washington, and Nevada) levy no state income tax. The Census Bureau's household survey, which counts people rather than tax returns, puts interstate movers at about 7.1 million and points the same way as the IRS in 44 of 50 states (the exceptions are Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, Mississippi, and Ohio).
Net Migration Map: Every State at a Glance
Blue states gained households from other states, terracotta states lost them. Hover or tap a state for its inbound, outbound, and net figures, or switch the coloring to per-1,000-residents or net income to see which small states punch above their weight. Click a state for its full origin and destination breakdown.
Which States Are People Moving To, and Which Are They Leaving?
The ten largest net gains and net losses in IRS households. The small figures show the same number per 1,000 residents and the Census survey's count in people, so you can see whether a state's total is a big-state effect or a genuine pull.
Top 10 net gainers
- 1Texas307.2K in · 250.8K out · +72.7K people+1.8/1K+56.5K
- 2Florida354.1K in · 298.8K out · +67.6K people+2.4/1K+55.3K
- 3North Carolina170.8K in · 131.6K out · +58.6K people+3.5/1K+39.1K
- 4South Carolina99.8K in · 70.6K out · +54.8K people+5.2/1K+29.2K
- 5Tennessee113.8K in · 89.7K out · +35.4K people+3.3/1K+24.1K
- 6Arizona121.7K in · 104.4K out · +55.5K people+2.3/1K+17.3K
- 7Georgia148.2K in · 133.6K out · +36.7K people+1.3/1K+14.7K
- 8Colorado121.4K in · 110.0K out · -25.0K people+1.9/1K+11.3K
- 9Washington122.2K in · 112.3K out · +17.4K people+1.2/1K+9.8K
- 10Nevada66.8K in · 57.8K out · +41.0K people+2.7/1K+9.0K
Top 10 net losers
- 1California252.9K in · 353.3K out · -254.3K people-2.5/1K-100.4K
- 2New York192.2K in · 264.2K out · -130.4K people-3.6/1K-72.0K
- 3Illinois117.3K in · 145.9K out · -82.4K people-2.3/1K-28.6K
- 4New Jersey107.7K in · 127.0K out · -64.7K people-2.0/1K-19.4K
- 5Massachusetts83.3K in · 98.7K out · -30.6K people-2.1/1K-15.4K
- 6Maryland83.3K in · 96.9K out · +5.6K people-2.2/1K-13.6K
- 7Pennsylvania123.6K in · 135.7K out · -17.1K people-0.9/1K-12.1K
- 8Louisiana37.0K in · 47.1K out · -12.5K people-2.2/1K-10.1K
- 9Michigan71.8K in · 80.6K out · +6.1K people-0.9/1K-8.8K
- 10Ohio92.7K in · 100.7K out · +20.5K people-0.7/1K-8.0K
Per resident, the fastest-growing states are South Carolina (+5.2), Delaware (+3.8), and North Carolina (+3.5), and the steepest losses are in New York (-3.6), California (-2.5), and Illinois (-2.3) per 1,000 residents.
See all 50 states in the table →The Biggest State-to-State Moves
The ten largest single migration corridors in IRS households. The reverse column shows how many households made the opposite trip, net is the balance the destination state keeps, and the last column is the Census survey's count of people on the same route.
| # | Move | Households | Avg AGI | Reverse | Net to destination | People (Census) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California→Texas | 44,417 | $107K | Compare → | |||
| 2 | New York→New Jersey | 43,699 | $117K | Compare → | |||
| 3 | New York→Florida | 43,187 | $133K | Compare → | |||
| 4 | California→Arizona | 28,402 | $88K | Compare → | |||
| 5 | Florida→Georgia | 28,263 | $65K | Compare → | |||
| 6 | New Jersey→New York | 26,793 | $111K | Compare → | |||
| 7 | California→Nevada | 26,210 | $103K | Compare → | |||
| 8 | Texas→California | 24,970 | $95K | Compare → | |||
| 9 | California→Washington | 24,625 | $112K | Compare → | |||
| 10 | Florida→Texas | 24,196 | $70K | Compare → |
Where people leaving California are moving
Texas (44.4K), Arizona (28.4K), Nevada (26.2K), Washington (24.6K), and New York (20.6K). Departing households averaged $102K in AGI.
All California destinations →Where New Yorkers are moving
New Jersey (43.7K), Florida (43.2K), Pennsylvania (20.6K), California (18.4K), and Connecticut (15.5K). Departing households averaged $106K in AGI.
All New York destinations →Which States Are Attracting Higher-Income Movers?
Net AGI is the total adjusted gross income that arrived minus what left. The small figures compare the average income of a household moving in with one moving out.
Gaining the most income
Losing the most income
A positive gap means the state is trading up: the households it attracts out-earn the ones it loses.
All 50 States Ranked by Net Migration
Click any column header to re-sort, search for a state, or narrow the list by region or direction. The # column is always the net-migration rank, even after you filter.
| # | State | Net↓ | Per 1K |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TexasTX | +56.5K | +1.8 |
| 2 | FloridaFL | +55.3K | +2.4 |
| 3 | North CarolinaNC | +39.1K | +3.5 |
| 4 | South CarolinaSC | +29.2K | +5.2 |
| 5 | TennesseeTN | +24.1K | +3.3 |
| 6 | ArizonaAZ | +17.3K | +2.3 |
| 7 | GeorgiaGA | +14.7K | +1.3 |
| 8 | ColoradoCO | +11.3K | +1.9 |
| 9 | WashingtonWA | +9.8K | +1.2 |
| 10 | NevadaNV | +9.0K | +2.7 |
| 11 | AlabamaAL | +6.2K | +1.2 |
| 12 | IdahoID | +5.8K | +2.9 |
| 13 | OklahomaOK | +5.4K | +1.3 |
| 14 | ArkansasAR | +5.3K | +1.7 |
| 15 | DelawareDE | +4.1K | +3.8 |
| 16 | MaineME | +3.7K | +2.6 |
| 17 | UtahUT | +3.2K | +0.9 |
| 18 | MontanaMT | +3.1K | +2.7 |
| 19 | MissouriMO | +2.8K | +0.5 |
| 20 | New HampshireNH | +2.2K | +1.5 |
| 21 | KentuckyKY | +2.2K | +0.5 |
| 22 | South DakotaSD | +1.5K | +1.6 |
| 23 | West VirginiaWV | +879 | +0.5 |
| 24 | WisconsinWI | +516 | +0.1 |
| 25 | VirginiaVA | +421 | +0.1 |
| 26 | WyomingWY | +187 | +0.3 |
| 27 | OregonOR | -45 | 0.0 |
| 28 | North DakotaND | -46 | -0.1 |
| 29 | Rhode IslandRI | -129 | -0.1 |
| 30 | New MexicoNM | -213 | -0.1 |
| 31 | VermontVT | -299 | -0.5 |
| 32 | IndianaIN | -1.3K | -0.2 |
| 33 | AlaskaAK | -1.4K | -1.9 |
| 34 | NebraskaNE | -1.5K | -0.7 |
| 35 | IowaIA | -2.4K | -0.8 |
| 36 | HawaiiHI | -2.6K | -1.8 |
| 37 | MississippiMS | -3.1K | -1.1 |
| 38 | KansasKS | -3.3K | -1.1 |
| 39 | MinnesotaMN | -5.1K | -0.9 |
| 40 | ConnecticutCT | -5.7K | -1.5 |
| 41 | OhioOH | -8.0K | -0.7 |
| 42 | MichiganMI | -8.8K | -0.9 |
| 43 | LouisianaLA | -10.1K | -2.2 |
| 44 | PennsylvaniaPA | -12.1K | -0.9 |
| 45 | MarylandMD | -13.6K | -2.2 |
| 46 | MassachusettsMA | -15.4K | -2.1 |
| 47 | New JerseyNJ | -19.4K | -2.0 |
| 48 | IllinoisIL | -28.6K | -2.3 |
| 49 | New YorkNY | -72.0K | -3.6 |
| 50 | CaliforniaCA | -100.4K | -2.5 |
In, Out, and Net are IRS tax returns (one per household). Per 1K is net households per 1,000 residents. Net AGI is total adjusted gross income arriving minus leaving. People (Census) is net movers of all ages from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey; hover a value for its margin of error. Sources: IRS SOI and Census ACS state-to-state migration files, latest releases.
How to Read This Data
Everything on this page comes from one source: the IRS Statistics of Income state-to-state migration files. Here is what each number means and what it leaves out.
Households, not people
The IRS matches each federal return to the prior year's return. When the filing address is in a different state, that return counts as one move. A return is one person or one married couple, so counts approximate households and understate the number of people.
Net flow
Net flow is inbound returns minus outbound returns. A positive number means the state gained households from other states. It says nothing about births, deaths, or international immigration, which also change population.
Per 1,000 residents
Net households divided by the state's latest Census population estimate, times 1,000. It puts Texas and Wyoming on the same scale so you can tell a big-state total from a strong pull.
Adjusted gross income
Average AGI is the total adjusted gross income of the movers on a route divided by the number of returns. Net AGI multiplies each state's inbound and outbound averages by the household counts and takes the difference.
The Census cross-check
Where you see "people (Census)", the figure comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which asks a sample of households where they lived a year ago. It counts people of every age, carries a margin of error, and has no income detail. It points the same way as the IRS in 44 of 50 states, counting a survey estimate within its own margin of error as consistent.
What is not counted
People who do not file a return, moves to or from foreign addresses, and very small state pairs the IRS folds into an 'other' category. Washington, DC appears as an origin and destination but has no page here.
Always the latest releases
This page is rebuilt from the most recent state-to-state files the IRS and the Census Bureau have published (checked October 2026). Each IRS release compares every household's return with the prior year's return, and the IRS has refined that matching over time, so releases are best read on their own rather than stacked into a trend.
IRS vs. Census vs. moving-company migration data
| Source | Counts | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| IRS Statistics of Income (this page) | Tax returns (households) + adjusted gross income | Who moved, where from and to, and what they earn |
| Census American Community Survey flows (this page, as "people") | People of all ages, from a household survey, with margins of error | A second read on direction and size, in people |
| Census Population Estimates | People (net domestic migration component) | Headline population change |
| U-Haul, United Van Lines, Atlas | Truck rentals or shipments (their customers only) | Early directional signal, not a count |
The IRS files are the only public source that pairs every move with the mover's income and names both the origin and destination state, so they anchor this page. The Census survey figures shown as "people" are an independent check: the two sources point the same way in 44 of 50 states, and the survey points the other way only in Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, Mississippi, and Ohio. Our growth rankings use the Census net domestic migration rate (people per 1,000), so those figures will not match the household counts here. IRS SOI migration data →
Key Takeaways
Patterns in the IRS data that the table alone does not show.
The South gained 226.0K households; every other region lost
12 of the 14 South states posted a net gain, and 6 of the 10 biggest gainers are in the South. The West lost 44.9K, the Midwest lost 54.1K, and the Northeast lost 128.7K. Interstate migration is a transfer from the coasts and the industrial Midwest to the Sun Belt.
Texas and Florida captured 36% of all net gains
Texas added 56.5K households and Florida 55.3K. North Carolina (+39.1K) is the only other state above 30K. 5 of the 10 biggest gainers, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Washington, and Nevada, levy no state income tax.
California lost about as many households as New York (-72.0K) and Illinois (-28.6K) lost combined
California's net loss of 100.4K households is the largest in the country. It still took in 252.9K households from other states, but 353.3K left. Per resident the loss is -2.5 per 1,000, the #2 steepest rate of any state.
Florida gained $20.6B in adjusted gross income
Households arriving in Florida reported an average AGI of $123K, against $76K for those leaving. That $46K gap is the widest in the country and shows that Florida is importing income, not just people. California lost the most income at $11.9B.
Per resident, South Carolina is growing fastest at +5.2 households per 1,000
Raw counts favor big states. Scaled to population, South Carolina (+5.2) tops Texas (+1.8) and Florida (+2.4). New York has the steepest per-capita loss at -3.6 per 1,000 residents.
California to Texas is the largest single move: 44.4K households
44.4K households moved from California to Texas, with an average AGI of $107K; the Census survey counts about 77.2K people on the same route. 25.0K went the other way, so Texas netted 19.4K households from the exchange. The next largest moves are New York to New Jersey (43.7K) and New York to Florida (43.2K).
- South+226.0K
- West-44.9K
- Midwest-54.1K
- Northeast-128.7K
- South: 1.6M in · 1.4M out · 12 of 14 states gaining
- West: 935.3K in · 980.2K out · 8 of 13 states gaining
- Midwest: 658.7K in · 712.8K out · 3 of 12 states gaining
- Northeast: 735.5K in · 864.1K out · 3 of 11 states gaining
Regions follow the Census Bureau groupings used across this site.
Migration Data for Every State
Each state page shows the top 10 origin and destination states, the income of movers in each direction, and how the state compares nationally.
- Alabamafrom Georgia+6.2K
- Alaskafrom California-1.4K
- Arizonafrom California+17.3K
- Arkansasfrom Texas+5.3K
- Californiafrom Texas-100.4K
- Coloradofrom Texas+11.3K
- Connecticutfrom New York-5.7K
- Delawarefrom Pennsylvania+4.1K
- Floridafrom New York+55.3K
- Georgiafrom Florida+14.7K
- Hawaiifrom California-2.6K
- Idahofrom California+5.8K
- Illinoisfrom Indiana-28.6K
- Indianafrom Illinois-1.3K
- Iowafrom Illinois-2.4K
- Kansasfrom Missouri-3.3K
- Kentuckyfrom Ohio+2.2K
- Louisianafrom Texas-10.1K
- Mainefrom Massachusetts+3.7K
- Marylandfrom Virginia-13.6K
- Massachusettsfrom New York-15.4K
- Michiganfrom Florida-8.8K
- Minnesotafrom Wisconsin-5.1K
- Mississippifrom Tennessee-3.1K
- Missourifrom Kansas+2.8K
- Montanafrom California+3.1K
- Nebraskafrom Iowa-1.5K
- Nevadafrom California+9.0K
- New Hampshirefrom Massachusetts+2.2K
- New Jerseyfrom New York-19.4K
- New Mexicofrom Texas-213
- New Yorkfrom New Jersey-72.0K
- North Carolinafrom Florida+39.1K
- North Dakotafrom Minnesota-46
- Ohiofrom Florida-8.0K
- Oklahomafrom Texas+5.4K
- Oregonfrom California-45
- Pennsylvaniafrom New York-12.1K
- Rhode Islandfrom Massachusetts-129
- South Carolinafrom North Carolina+29.2K
- South Dakotafrom Minnesota+1.5K
- Tennesseefrom Florida+24.1K
- Texasfrom California+56.5K
- Utahfrom California+3.2K
- Vermontfrom New York-299
- Virginiafrom Maryland+421
- Washingtonfrom California+9.8K
- West Virginiafrom Virginia+879
- Wisconsinfrom Illinois+516
- Wyomingfrom Colorado+187
Go Deeper
What you'd keep in Texas vs. California
Take-home after housing, taxes, childcare, and groceries for your household and income.
Compare California and Texas
The biggest migration corridor, head-to-head on every category and metric.
Growth rankings
All 50 states scored on population growth, Census net migration rate, and unemployment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states are people moving to the most?
Texas gained the most residents from other states, with a net +56.5K households (307.2K in, 250.8K out). The top five net gainers are Texas (+56.5K), Florida (+55.3K), North Carolina (+39.1K), South Carolina (+29.2K), and Tennessee (+24.1K), based on the latest IRS release of state-to-state migration data. Counted in people rather than households, the Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the top five at Texas (+72.7K), Florida (+67.6K), North Carolina (+58.6K), Arizona (+55.5K), and South Carolina (+54.8K).
Which states are people leaving the most?
California lost the most residents to other states, with a net -100.4K households. The five states with the largest net losses are California (-100.4K), New York (-72.0K), Illinois (-28.6K), New Jersey (-19.4K), and Massachusetts (-15.4K). In total 24 states lost households to interstate migration and 26 gained.
Which state has the highest net migration per capita?
South Carolina has the highest net domestic migration rate at +5.2 households per 1,000 residents, followed by Delaware (+3.8), North Carolina (+3.5), and Tennessee (+3.3). New York has the lowest at -3.6 per 1,000. Per-capita rates matter because Texas and Florida lead on raw counts partly because they are so large.
Where are people moving from California?
The top destinations for households leaving California are Texas (44.4K), Arizona (28.4K), Nevada (26.2K), Washington (24.6K), and New York (20.6K). California sent 353.3K households to other states and received 252.9K, for a net loss of 100.4K.
Where are people moving from New York?
Households leaving New York most often moved to New Jersey (43.7K), Florida (43.2K), Pennsylvania (20.6K), California (18.4K), and Connecticut (15.5K). New York lost a net 72.0K households, the second-largest loss of any state.
Where are people moving to Texas from?
The biggest sources of new Texas residents are California (44.4K), Florida (24.2K), Louisiana (15.1K), New York (13.0K), and Colorado (12.3K). Arrivals reported an average adjusted gross income of $84K, compared with $80K for households that left.
Where are people moving to Florida from?
Florida's largest origin states are New York (43.2K), Georgia (23.5K), California (20.2K), New Jersey (20.1K), and Texas (20.1K). Households moving in averaged $123K in AGI versus $76K for those moving out, so the state is attracting higher earners than it loses.
What is the most common state-to-state move?
California to Texas is the largest single migration corridor, with 44.4K households making the move. 25.0K households moved from Texas to California, so Texas netted 19.4K. Other large corridors include New York to New Jersey (43.7K), New York to Florida (43.2K), and California to Arizona (28.4K).
Which states are gaining the wealthiest residents?
Florida gained the most income through migration: +$20.6B in net adjusted gross income, with arrivals averaging $123K versus $76K for departures. Texas (+$5.5B), South Carolina (+$4.1B), and North Carolina (+$3.9B) follow. California lost the most at -$11.9B. 22 states attract higher-earning households than they lose.
How many Americans move to a different state each year?
About 3.9 million households filed a federal tax return from a different state than the year before, according to the latest IRS release of state-to-state migration data. Each return represents one tax-filing household, so the number of people is higher. The average mover reported $84K in adjusted gross income.
Which region of the US is gaining the most people?
The South gained a net 226.0K households from other regions, with 12 of its 14 states posting a gain. The West lost 44.9K, the Midwest lost 54.1K, and the Northeast lost 128.7K.
What does net migration mean?
Net migration is the number of households moving into a state minus the number moving out during the same period. A positive number means the state gained residents from other states; a negative number means it lost them. This page counts domestic (state-to-state) migration only. It excludes international immigration, births, and deaths, which also change a state's total population.
Where does state-by-state migration data come from?
The figures come from the IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) state-to-state migration files, using the most recent release. The IRS matches each federal return to the prior year's return; when the filing address is in a different state, the return is counted as a move. We publish the IRS totals as reported, with no modeling. "Households" are tax returns, and average AGI is total adjusted gross income divided by returns.
How current is this migration data?
This page uses the most recent state-to-state migration files the IRS has published. Each release compares every household's federal return with the prior year's return to identify moves. We rebuild the page from the new files as soon as the IRS publishes them, so the figures here always reflect the latest available release.
How many people move between states each year?
About 7.1 million people moved from one state to another in the past year, according to the latest Census Bureau American Community Survey. The IRS counts the same movement in tax-filing households, about 3.9 million. By people, the largest net gains went to Texas (+72.7K), Florida (+67.6K), and North Carolina (+58.6K) and the largest loss was California (-254.3K).
Is a tax return the same as a household?
Not exactly, but it is close. Each federal return is filed by one person or one married couple, so the IRS counts of returns approximate households. People who do not file a return, including many students, low-income adults, and some retirees, are not counted. Dependents are counted on their parents' return, so the number of people who moved is larger than the number of returns shown here.
Does this data include international immigration?
No. The figures on this page cover domestic migration only: households that filed from one U.S. state one year and a different state the next. Moves to or from foreign addresses are excluded, and so are births and deaths. A state can lose households to other states and still grow in total population if international immigration and births outweigh the domestic loss.
How is IRS migration data different from Census or moving-company data?
IRS data counts tax-filing households and includes their income, which makes it the most complete public record of who moved and what they earn. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey counts people of all ages from a household survey, with a margin of error on every figure and no income detail; it puts interstate movers at about 7.1 million people versus 3.9 million IRS households. This page shows both. They point the same way in 44 of 50 states, counting a Census estimate that is within its margin of error as consistent; the exceptions, where the survey points the other way, are Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Vermont, Mississippi, and Ohio. Moving-company indexes (U-Haul, United Van Lines, Atlas) only reflect their own customers.