There are a lot of life events that can cause stress. One of the biggest stressing life events is moving. That’s unfortunate since a lot of us do a lot of moving in a lifetime! Here are all the amazing facts about who is moving in America, and how and why.
Who is Moving?
One of the biggest predictors of how likely a person is to move is, surprisingly, their education level. It turns out that people who graduate from college are more likely to live in multiple states, and 77% of graduates have made a significant move at least once. Only 56% of those without a college education have done so. Younger people are also more likely to move, with one-third of all people in their 20s moving in any given year. In all, every year there are 43 million Americans calling for commercial moving services or other moving assistance to locate somewhere new, and the average American will move 12 times in their life.
Why Do People Move?
There are three big reasons why people move. The biggest reason, accounting for 42% of all moves, is personal. These are people moving to a new home because of family issues, a desire to change climates, a need for more room for children or even pets, or a simple preference for a different state or community. Another 40% of moves are due to work, and 18% of moves are the result of military or other government relocation demands. It also turns out that renters are frequently the ones calling in commercial moving services and relocating. A full third of renters move every single year.
Where Do People Move?
Nearly 60% of American adults have never lived outside their home state; however at the opposite end are 15% of Americans who have lived in at least four different states. And while 63% of people have moved to a new community, if not to a new state, 37% of adults have never even left their hometowns. The family likely has a lot to do with that, as people who’ve never left their hometowns have an average of eight family members living within an hour’s drive. Those who have left their hometowns only have an average of three family members living that close.
When and How Do People Move?
Almost half of all the moving done in the United States every year is done between the beginning of May and Labor Day. With kids out of school during the summer, most families find that the most convenient time to make a move. Freshly graduated university students also find that a good time to hire a commercial moving service and get out of the college area and into their own new places.
How Can Moving Be Made Easier?
It’s hard to make something as big as moving be stress-free, but there are ways to make things easier. Hiring a commercial moving service is one way to mitigate the stress of a move. Having a good real estate agent to help find the right location well in advance of a move is another way to ease stress. It’s also a good idea to plan moves well in advance whenever possible, and then tackle the organizing and packing in stages. Leaving everything until the last possible minute is recipe for disaster.
Americans move a lot, and yet we leave our hearts in special places. When asked, 23% of us say that their heart home isn’t where they currently live, and that’s especially true for those who have lived in two or more different communities. Wherever your heart is, when you go back there make the move as simple as possible by hiring the right commercial moving service to help.