More people are moving to NC than most states, study says. Where are they from?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Retirement Living finds North Carolina gained 58,587 residents in 2025.
- Net migration placed North Carolina third nationwide, trailing Texas and Florida.
- Gen Z and Gen X drove gains; Baby Boomers and Silent Generation added smaller nets.
More than 10.4 million people already call North Carolina home, Census data show.
A new report by Retirement Living found the state is still growing, with people arriving in greater numbers than leaving. In fact, North Carolina saw the third-highest positive net migration rate in the nation across multiple generations, according to the retirement planning website.
“While there’s no shortage of reasons to relocate, no matter your age, it turns out that moving preferences may be impacted by when you were born,” researchers wrote in the study, updated Thursday, Nov. 6.
The report, titled “Where Each Generation Is Moving Across the U.S.,” examined moving trends by age group to gain a sense of where folks are moving (or leaving) so far in 2025.
Here’s what it found.
How many people moved to North Carolina?
North Carolina was among top states with the most inbound moves — a whopping 299,782 newcomers, per the Retirement Living report. It saw an outflow of 241,195 people, resulting in a net migration of 58,587.
The state landed just behind No. 2 Florida, which had an annual net migration of 67,630 people, data show. Texas was the nation’s top pick for movers, boasting 556,156 inbound moves and 483,476 outbound moves for a net migration of 72,680 people.
A similar analysis by moveBuddha.com ranked North Carolina among the most moved-to places in the U.S. so far this year, The Observer previously reported. It landed at No. 2 on the Top 10 list with an overall in-to-out move ratio of 1.61 — or 161 inbound moves for every 100 outbound moves, according to the study, updated Monday, Oct. 6.
Who’s moving to North Carolina?
From Gen Z to Baby Boomers, the Tar Heel State remains a popular place to put down roots.
“The Silent Generation has the lowest moving numbers of any generation, though those 75 and over still follow the trend of moving to Southern states like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas,” Retirement Living said.
Here’s the rate at which each age group is moving to (and from) North Carolina:
- Gen Z (ages 18-24) net migration: 15,333
- Millennials (ages 25-44) net migration: N/A
- Gen X (ages 25-59) net migration: 11,260
- Baby Boomers (ages 60-74) net migration: 7,654
- Silent Generation (ages 75+) net migration: 2,992
Where are people coming from?
Nearly 3% of moves to North Carolina in the last year were from out of state, the latest Census data show. That’s compared to 3.6% people who moved from a different county (within the same state) and 5.1% who relocated within the same county.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 10:20 AM.