The top ten cities Americans are fleeing from have been revealed, with two glamorous beach towns taking the number one spot for new arrivals.
Moving company PODS revealed its data showing which cities across the country attracted the most new residents, and which saw the most pack up and leave.
Topping the list of cities with the highest amounts of move-outs was Los Angeles, California, which ranked first for its second straight year.
While Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, both held on to the title as having the highest amount of move-ins in the last year.
The company said in their findings that they are seeing more and more people move out towards the Southern Appalachian region.
According to their findings, cost of living was the high reason people were fleeing cities and expensive metro zones.
LA rounded out the top five alongside crisis-hit San Francisco, the Miami area, Long Island in New York and Austin, Texas.
The company said that higher expenses have ‘put the squeeze on residents’ who are now fleeing to states with lower overall costs.
Out of the whole country, the data found that California had the highest concentration of move-outs among US states, with seven cities in the top 20.
The Golden State has been battling problems with rising homelessness and open drug abuse in recent years in its major cities.
Homelessness jumped 6 percent to more than 180,000 people in California last year, federal data show. Since 2013, the numbers have exploded by 53 percent.
Californians have been leaving the state in droves in recent years because of this and a high cost of living.
In 2023, California’s state population rose 0.17%, marking the first year of growth since the mass exodus that began in 2019.
Meanwhile San Francisco saw many people and businesses flee the area last year to escape the city’s ‘doom loop’.
The city, like Los Angeles, has been plunged into crisis in recent years with skyrocketing levels of homelessness and addiction.
Last year was the deadliest year on record for drug deaths largely thanks to the proliferation of fentanyl.
Progressive ‘harm reduction’ policies which don’t penalize hard drug use have been blamed for worsening the crisis.
Officials have struggled to get a grip on the situation in San Francisco, with soaring crime rates forcing many household names to close up shop in the city.
According to PODS, the Golden State also ‘has a reputation for imposing high sales, income, and property taxes’.
Their findings said that home values in California have increased 6.4 percent over the last year, which is two percent below the national average.
High rents are also forcing residents to look elsewhere, with the company citing an average rental price of a one-bedroom being $2,525 in the state.
Austin, Texas, rounded out the top five this year which was a first for the city after it saw unprecedented growth during the pandemic.
Companies and residents flocked to the city at the time, but the US Census Bureau is now reporting a decline in migration to the city.
The report cites a decline in affordability and a lack of space for new builds as being leading factors.
Other cities with the highest level of move-outs that round out the top ten include Central Jersey, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois, San Diego, California, Stockton-Modesto, California and Hudson Valley in New York.
Meanwhile Houston, Texas, is seeing a surge in new residents coming to the city having ranked third among cities where PODS saw the largest amount of move-ins.
Houston ranked fifth in last year’s findings, but now joins Charlotte, North Carolina, Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, Ocala, Florida, as well as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, in the top five.
In their analysis, PODS said that: ‘It appears movers are getting wind of the many perks of living in the Carolinas, making them two of the most moved-to states in 2024, according to our customer data.
‘Both states offer beautiful beaches, forestlands, mountains, and vibrant metro cities.
‘The cost of living comes in just below the national average and the quality of life is good.
‘Four-season weather, southern charm, history, and dynamic arts, culture, food, and wine scenes are big draws, too.
‘Residents can also look forward to a growing economy (particularly in North Carolina) and lower tax rates than many other U.S. states.’
It come after a LinkedIn finding that showed that the top 10 fastest-growing cities in America were all in the South, including four in Florida , three in Texas , and two in North Carolina.
Sarasota, Florida topped the list, with a net gain of 107 new workers per 10,000 LinkedIn members January from one year ago.