ORLANDO, Fla. – A new study released this week by moveBuddha has revealed the top destinations for movers across the country — and it turns out that the Sunshine State is ranked No. 1.
To conduct the study, researchers surveyed well over 1,000 Americans about their plans to move in 2026, providing some insight into what Americans are looking for.
“What did we discover?” the report reads. “Moving is increasingly becoming a high-cost risk, and when they’re not prioritizing work, career and cost, this year’s respondents dream about the Sunbelt, bigger lawns, and shorter commutes.”
[BELOW: Take a look at the best-ranked places to live in Florida]
According to the results, affordability has nearly doubled in importance compared to last year, with many Americans wanting to move “wherever the cost of living is low.”
However, Florida remained the top state that Americans want to move to, with California coming in at No. 2, and Texas bringing up the rear at No. 3.
However, it’s not just any part of Florida that people crave.
“Freed from the burden of work, respondents value room to roam — preferably straight to the beach," the report continues. “If they could choose their locations, 20.56% would move to the suburbs or a rural area with more space to stretch out.”
SO ARE MORE PEOPLE GOING TO MOVE TO FLORIDA?
That may not necessarily be the case, the study points out.
That’s because roughly 80% of Americans are somewhat or very happy where they’re already living, and just under 40% of respondents said that the cost of moving is keeping them rooted.
So while many people may want to move to areas like Florida that have warm climates and coastlines, the cost of doing so isn’t always feasible.
“In 2026, mobility isn’t about surface preferences anymore,” researchers concluded. “Instead, it’s a risk analysis with headwinds like job availability, mortgage lock-in and housing burdens. It’s about career and stability wins.”