Moving to another part of the country is a big leap, one often driven by pragmatic reasons like employment. According to the 2025 National Movers Study compiled by United Van Lines, employment continues to be a primary driver of relocation nationwide.
A key motivating factor, behind a desire to be closer to family, is a new job or a transfer at an existing job: 25.92% of surveyed movers in 2025 said this was their reason for moving.
Here are the 10 states that had the highest numbers of people moving to them for jobs, as well as the types of industries within each state that could be attracting new movers.
- Washington, D.C.
When discussing the 50 states, always be sure to include the asterisk of “and the District of Columbia.” Especially in this case, because the district had the highest percentage in the country of inbound movers coming primarily because of jobs at 52.4%. The other primary reasons to move ranked noticeably lower; the second-most common reasons, a tie between health and lifestyle, both came in at 9.5% of inbound movers.
Some of the prominent industries in the District of Columbia include technology and tourism; Washington reports about 18 million tourists annually. As the nation’s capital city, and its proximity to centers of diplomacy, international businesses are also a key sector in the D.C. economy. D.C.’s workforce is highly educated, with several universities and political think tanks located in the city.
That ties into the other major employer of D.C.—the public sector. According to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, about 49,000 D.C. residents (13% of the city) are employed by the federal government. However, since the start of 2025 and the Trump administration—which initially made it a mission to slash funding for government agencies, including the now seemingly disbanded Department of Government Efficiency—several government employees have faced layoffs. Some, including layoffs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, have seen judicial injunctions.
The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services found at the end of summer 2025 (August) that unemployment in D.C. had increased year-over-year from 4.7% to 5.6%, with the public sector having lost 15,200 jobs compared to the private sector’s 6,600 jobs.
The job losses in the public sector provide a possible reason for a not insignificant number of outbound movers (34.4%) claiming, per United Van Lines, they were moving out of D.C. for job-related reasons.
- Louisiana
The Pelican State saw a near-even balance of job-related movers: 50% of inbound movers came to Louisiana primarily for job-related reasons, while 47.1% of outbound movers said they were leaving primarily for job related reasons.
Louisiana was home to 48 companies ranked on the Inc. 5000 list in 2025, including construction firms such as EPC and Omega Foundation Services in addition to industrial product supplier Getpro Industrial. The state boasts of a “diversified” economy, from agriculture to technology to supply chain logistics—owing in part to the coastal state’s numerous ports. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found Louisiana’s top sector-wide employers in 2025 to be transportation trade & utilities, education & heath services and government.
Energy has traditionally been one of Louisiana’s largest industries, as well, due to plentiful oil and natural gas reserves in the state; Louisiana is home to the highest number of refineries per capita in the country.
- South Dakota
The United Van Lines study measures both people moving in and out of the state. That distinction is important to keep in mind for South Dakota: 42.9% of inbound movers moved to the state for jobs, the third highest in the country. However, the number of people moving out of the state for jobs was still slightly higher: 46.7%.
According to a 2024 report by Redfin for South Dakota movers, the state’s top industry is agriculture, which makes up 13% of South Dakota GDP; one of the state’s top employers is dairy manufacturer Valley Queen Cheese. Other key industries include tourism (South Dakota is home to both Mount Rushmore as well as the historic and TV-starring town Deadwood), manufacturing and healthcare.
South Dakota is one of the least populated states in the country (with a population between 900,000 and 1 million) and is known for its vast rural plains, creating a space for agriculture. A limited population logically creates limited job opportunities, though, and South Dakota farmers were reported to have been under economic stress as recently as 2019.
- Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the U.S., but it still has a population of more than 1 million. Of the Americans who chose to move to the state in 2025, 40.6% of them came for jobs (though 36.70% of outbound movers from Rhode Island also cited job-related reasons).
Rhode Island’s official nickname is the Ocean State—it is home to 400 miles of coastline—and the state government notes a strong, $5.3 billion “ocean economy” that encompasses different industries, from marine sciences to boat manufacturing to tourism to an offshore wind farm.
The state is also home to several universities, from Ivy League Brown University to the Rhode Island School of Design. Design and manufacturing innovation have been cited as another key industry for the state, behind ocean-related ones, drawing on Rhode Island’s history as a key textile manufacturer. This makes the state a possible destination for business/manufacturing-minded artists and recent design school graduates.
- North Dakota
South Dakota’s northern sibling ranked slightly below it as a state attracting inbound movers for jobs: 40% of the inbound movers to North Dakota in 2025 came for jobs (whereas 33.3% of outbound movers left for jobs).
During the 2010s, North Dakota enjoyed an economic boom due to increased oil production via fracking. Bloomberg has reported that the influx of oil workers into North Dakota has contributed to an eviction crisis due to limited housing within the state. Moreover, as the oil boom has subsided, that leaves oil workers in the state with less secure employment. The relatively balanced number of inbound and outbound job-related moves to North Dakota in 2025 could account for this.
Besides oil, other key industries in North Dakota include agriculture—in particular bean and wheat production—as well as a growing focus on renewable energy.
- Utah
Posting a similar ratio as South Dakota, Utah saw 37.5% inbound movers come for jobs in 2025, but the state actually had even more outbound movers for job-related reasons (43.2%).
The Utah state government boasts of working and strategizing with key industries to create a diverse economy within the Beehive State. Particular industries named are manufacturing, aerospace and defense, healthcare, software and especially financial services. Financial services, including fintech, are described as Utah’s “largest and fastest-growing targeted industry,” with the state ranking No. 8 in the country for banking assets.
Though Utah is known by out-of-staters for its national parks, the Salt Lake Tribune reported in 2023 that these parks and tourism still generate only a small portion of the state economy.
- Oregon
One of the most popular states to move to in 2025 was Oregon: 64.5% of Oregon moves that year were inbound, while 35.5% were outbound. Two Oregon cities also ranked among the top metro area destinations for inbound movers in 2025: Eugene-Springfield (85% inbound) and Salem (70% inbound). What makes the state so attractive, besides lifestyle?
For inbound movers to Oregon, 36.1% reported moving in for jobs (whereas 31.6% of outbound movers reported leaving for jobs). According to a Redfin report from 2024, Oregon’s top two industries are almost worlds apart: technology/software production as well as lumber. Technology made up 11% of Oregon’s GDP in 2024, with the city of Portland noted as a particular tech hub.
Meanwhile, the state has a long history as a top destination for the logging industry, which produces not only direct logging jobs but also employment for truck drivers, forest managers, etc. These two large economic engines make Oregon a compelling destination for both tech industry professionals and blue-collar wood industry workers seeking stable employment.
- Texas
United Van Lines found a near clean divide between inbound and outbound movers to Texas in 2025 (50.7% in, 49.3% out). The Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas, metro area was found to be a particular population destination for movers (72% inbound).
For job-motivated movers, United Van Lines found that 35.90% came to Texas for jobs, while 29.40% were leaving because of jobs. Texas is one of the largest and most populated states in the U.S., with a highly diversified economy. While Texas has traditionally been a home for the energy and oil industries due to its abundant natural resources, it has also built up large information and biotechnology sectors. Texas has even been ranked as the best state for business for over 20 years; its lack of a corporate or state income tax makes it especially attractive for businesses.
As another sign of the state’s diverse economy, Texas’ capital city of Austin is also a hub for the arts, including film and music, while also offering cheaper cost of living than other U.S. cultural hubs like Los Angeles or New York City.
- West Virginia
West Virginia’s reputation and ranking as one of the poorest states in the union might make it a surprising destination for resettlers. However, United Van Lines found the number of movers to the state in 2025 fairly lopsided: 62.1% inbound movers to West Virginia, and 37.9% outbound.
That said, while 33.3% of inbound movers came to West Virginia for jobs, 47.1% of outbound movers said they were moving out because of jobs. Historically, West Virginia has been home to the coal mining industry; it remains the second top producer of coal in the U.S. following Wyoming, and accounts for 15% of U.S. coal production.
However, the coal industry (and employment in it) has been declining in recent decades due to cleaner and cheaper energy alternatives. (Though the Trump administration has made efforts this past year to support the industry.) This could account for the high number of West Virginia leaving the state to find work elsewhere.
The incentive driving job seekers to West Virginia, ironically, might not be because of jobs in the state itself. West Virginia offers an “Ascend West Virginia” program, or a $12,000 payment and promise of outdoor recreation for remote workers to live in the state. The United Van Lines numbers suggest that this offer might be working.
- Maryland
Per the United Van Lines findings, Maryland posted slightly more outbound movers (52.4%) than inbound (47.6%) in 2025. That said, slightly more inbound movers came for jobs (33.3%) than outbound (30.3%).
Given Maryland’s proximity to the District of Columbia, the high number of people moving to D.C. for job-related reasons likely boosts Maryland’s standing as well. Beyond D.C. commuters, Maryland’s economy is also home to large biotech, information technology, defense and telecommunications industries. Maryland’s state government notes its “convenient mid-Atlantic location” and actively positions itself as welcoming to AI technology and the data centers to power it.
Said “Mid-Atlantic location” has also made Maryland one of the top producers of seafood in the United States. This means the commercial fishing industry plays a vital role in the state economy; 50% of the U.S. blue crab harvest comes from Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.
