What is Different Now vs. Before the Pandemic

While housing is the main reason people move, data shows that housing-related moves rose even further due to the pandemic. For example, 46% of the moves were made for housing-related reasons in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is an increase of 6 percentage points from the previous year. Based on the data, this increase was primarily due to people looking for a better neighborhood, cheaper housing, and the desire for a newer/better/larger home. With the pandemic changing buyers’ preferences, these migration trends only go one way and affect every area’s demographics.