September 24, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster
I’ve moved plenty of times in my life, and early in my career we bought and sold homes like they were going out of style. As one gets older, that’s not so much fun, and it turns out most Americans are slowing down their transient behavior in general. From Realtor.com:
According to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, the nation’s residential mobility rate has fallen to a historic low of roughly 11%, down from the 20% annual mover rate recorded during the mid-20th century. This represents the lowest level of geographic movement recorded since federal tracking began in 1948.
The younger generation in particular is staying put:
Bank of America’s data found a broad-based slowdown in moving. That includes both long-distance moves and moves within cities. Millennials in particular see the sharpest pullbacks. But aside from Gen Z, all age groups are increasingly staying put, the data found.
Elevated mortgage rates that don’t seem to settle are part of the driver, among other factors. So what are people doing instead of packing up and leaving?
The overall decline in moving means people are spending more on furniture and home improvement, and less on moving services, Bank of America’s internal data found. And those who put more money into their homes are often using their home equity to finance the upgrades. For instance, with a home equity line of credit or HELOC loans.
No wonder furniture is so expensive.
You can read the whole story HERE.
