What states are people in moving to and from?

Updated May. 13, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, most people moving to North Carolina came from Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia. The top states people from North Carolina left for were Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia. Overall, about 241,200 people left North Carolina for another state. Meanwhile 299,800 moved in from elsewhere in the US. Newcomers from other states accounted for 2.7% of North Carolina's population.
North Carolina ranked third among states in total domestic net migration, with a gain of 58,600 residents.

1 in 35

people living in North Carolina moved in 2024 from another state

3rd

North Carolina's rank in net state-to-state migration (2024)
Along with immigration and natural population change, state-to-state migration is one of the three ways a state's population may shift. In 2024, North Carolina had positive net migration with 33 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
North Carolina had a net increase of 9,600 residents with California, the highest among all states. The largest net decrease in 2024 was with Arizona at -3,900.

North Carolina had positive net migration with 32 states in 2024.

Net migration between North Carolina and other states, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico

How many people from North Carolina moved to another state in the past year?

In 2024, 33.9% of the 241,200 people who left North Carolina for another state moved to just three destinations: South Carolina (33,200), Florida (25,900), and Virginia (22,800).

In 2024, people leaving North Carolina most often moved to South Carolina, Florida, and Virginia.

People moving from North Carolina to another state, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico

How many people from another state moved to North Carolina in the past year?

Of the 300,600 people moving to North Carolina from another state between 2023 and 2024, 30.6% came from three states: Florida (+33,600 residents), South Carolina (+30,000), and Virginia (+28,400).

In 2024, newcomers arrived in North Carolina most often from Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia.

People moving to North Carolina from another state, Washington, DC, or Puerto Rico

How does the share of people who moved from another state vary across North Carolina's 100 counties?

From 2020 to 2024, Onslow County had the highest share of newcomers from other states, averaging 9.2% of its population each year. At the other end, Wilkes County recorded the lowest share, with 0.5% of residents moving in from another state.

The share of the population that moved from another state in a given year varies throughout North Carolina.

Annual average of share of population 1 year or older who moved from another state in the previous year (2020–2024)

Migration routes between North Carolina and other states (2024)

Migration routes between North Carolina and other states (2024)
Residence 1 year agoEstimate
1.

Florida 

33,600
2.

South Carolina

30,000
3.

Virginia 

28,400
4.

Georgia 

19,000
5.

California 

18,400
6.

New York

18,000
7.

Texas 

16,500
8.

Pennsylvania 

13,300
9.

New Jersey

9,300
10.

Maryland 

8,900

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.