Raleigh is ranked among US cities people are moving to in 2025. Here’s why

People are flocking to North Carolina so far in 2025, and they are settling in the Triangle.

Raleigh is among the nation’s top places that attracted new residents, according to rankings from GoBankingRates.

The online financial company used “net long-distance moving numbers” between January 2024 and March 2025 to identify which cities citizens were moving to and leaving for its “Americans Are Moving To — and Out of — These 12 Cities” study.

“Where should I live?” This is a question you may find yourself asking numerous times throughout your life,” wrote GoBankingRates analyst Nicole Spector in the June 2 article. “As your circumstances change, different factors may emerge.”

Here is where Raleigh ranked and why people are moving to the city:

How high was Raleigh in national rankings?

Raleigh was ranked No. 4 among six cities where Americans are relocating to, according to GoBankingRates.

It was favored for its low cost of living, which is two percent lower than the national average, at $50,205 yearly. The city also scored high for its median household income of $82,424 annually and livability score of 84 on a scale of 100.

Ocala, Florida, was ranked No. 3, followed by Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, at No. 2 and Wilmington at No. 1.

“The Carolinas continue to bring home the blue ribbon as the most moved-to states in 2025, according to the moving company PODS. ”The Carolinas shine with a larger diversity of nature that ranges from mountains to beaches to forestlands.”

Why is Raleigh an attractive city for transplants?

In January, Raleigh was ranked in the top 10 by moving companies United Van Lines and U-Haul for top places that attracted new residents, The News & Observer previously reported.

“The Research Triangle was once a very up-and-coming destination for the technology and health industries, but now it is well established as the place to be,” said Matthew Bourgeois, U-Haul Company of Raleigh president, wrote in a news release. “This area continues to grow due to the career opportunities and quality of life people find here.”

How did GoBankingRates come up with its ranking?

GoBankingRates used moving numbers from the storage company PODS to determine which metropolitan areas were gaining the most residents and which were seeing the most people move out.

Data for the ranking was sourced from PayScale, RentCafe, the U.S. Census Bureau and AreaVibes.