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The #1 Reason Why People End Up Moving

Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson is a reporter in Boston. She got her start at the Boston Herald, where commenters would leave sweet messages like “Megan Johnson is just awful.” Now, she's a contributor to publications like People Magazine, Trulia and Architectural Digest.
published May 12, 2019
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Moving. UGH. Packing your entire apartment and schlepping it across town? I’d much rather use those cardboard boxes for just about anything besides moving. (Fort building competition, anyone?) But, alas, people do move. In fact, about 35 million Americans do every year. So why do that many people put themselves through all that labor and legwork? Well, Porch, a company which connects homeowners with home-oriented professionals, asked more than 1,000 people just that. And spoiler alert: Not many people replied, “just for fun!”

According to the survey, the number one reason was for more space (26 percent of people). This was largely fueled by millennials, who were 27 percent more likely than Gen Xers and 77 percent more likely than Baby Boomers to go through the moving hassle for an upgrade.

In second? Wanting to own, not rent (19 percent). Surprisingly, there was also demographic split here: Gen X-ers and Baby Boomers were 50 percent more likely to move for this reason than millennials. In third place was a desire to downsize (12 percent); and in fourth: job transfers (11 percent). Rounding out the top five was wanting to live in a better neighborhood (9 percent).

Though everyone had their reasons for moving—many had their reasons not to. All generations were on the same page about why they didn’t plan to move in the next decade: They love their current home (aw). Baby boomers are more likely to be in love with their home than millennials (24 percent versus 17 percent, respectively). Despite the love fest, only 18 percent said it was unlikely they’d move in the next decade. That means the majority of homeowners know that life happens and home sweet home doesn’t always last forever.

Here are demographics behind the survey: Of the 1,004 people questioned, 465 were men, 536 were women, and three did not specify their gender. Their ages ranged from 18 to 81, with a median age of 35. Respondents who had never moved were excluded from taking the survey.

See the entire report on Porch’s website, here.

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