SC is a top destination for movers in 2026. These cities are the draw, study says
It’s no secret that South Carolina has seen a rise in popularity over the past several years, especially for younger adults.
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Whether it’s the state’s lower cost of living, scenery or job growth, people from all over the country are moving to SC in droves.
In fact, the Palmetto State is on track to be America’s top move-in state for the 7th consecutive year, according to a recent report from moveBuddha, a moving and storage website. SC outperformed every other state in attracting relocation interest despite ongoing affordability challenges and elevated mortgage rates nationwide.
The group created a list of America’s moving trends for 2026. They determined where people are most interested in moving to and which states people are moving out of by analyzing nearly 98,000 moving-related searches made on its website in the first half of 2026.
Additionally, moveBuddha found the popular cities nationwide that are bringing in the most people. In SC, two well-known areas ranked in the top 15 of cities where people are most interested in moving. Here are the cities:
SC’s most popular cities
No. 7 Myrtle Beach
According to moveBuddha, Myrtle Beach is the 7th most popular city in the country for movers, and is the top spot in SC. The coastal city is often the place to go for summer and spring break trips, due to its long strip of restaurants, attractions and, of course, its beautiful beach.
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Myrtle Beach ranked so high because it had many more inbound searches than outbound move searches. The ratio of inbound move searches versus outbound move searches was 2.60 to 1.
No. 15 Summerville
The second SC city to appear on this ranking is Summerville, placing No. 15 nationally with 2.27 inbound move searches for every outbound search.
Nicknamed the Birthplace of Sweet Tea, Summerville is a quick drive away from downtown Charleston and its beaches, making it even more attractive for those looking to relocate.
10 most popular U.S. cities
Even though SC is retaining and attracting more people than any other state, other Southern cities, mostly in Florida, are the country’s most popular. Here are the places in the top 10.
- The Villages, Florida: 3.58 in-to-out move ratio
- Las Cruces, New Mexico: 3.44 in-to-out move ratio
- Ocala, Florida: 2.74 in-to-out move ratio
- Punta Gorda, Florida: 2.66 in-to-out move ratio
- St. Augustine, Florida: 2.65 in-to-out move ratio
- Vero Beach, Florida: 2.62 in-to-out move ratio
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: 2.60 in-to-out move ratio
- Kissimmee, Florida: 2.38 in-to-out move ratio
- Leander, Texas: 2.32 in-to-out move ratio
- Bozeman, Montana: 2.31 in-to-out move ratio
This story was originally published October 19, 2026 at 1:02 PM with the headline “SC is a top destination for movers in 2026. These cities are the draw, study says.”
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