Charlotte Tops List of ‘Stickiest’ U.S. Cities for Residents Staying Local

Charlotte metro claimed the top spot as the nation's "stickiest" major metro. Residents here choose to stay nearby when they relocate. A new study from moveBuddha reveals this pattern. One in four move searches within the area stayed inside metro boundaries — 76% higher than what the rest of the country shows.

The Queen City spearheaded a cluster of Southern metros that owned the rankings. Greenville, South Carolina, came next. Daytona Beach, Florida, followed. Louisville, Kentucky, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, rounded out the group, each posting "stickiness" rates near or above 20%.

Raleigh landed at No. 15. Its "stickiness" rate hit 16.5%. No other North Carolina metro made the list.

Researchers examined data from moveBuddha's Moving Cost Calculator. They reviewed searches made between March 1, 2025, and Feb. 28, 2026. Metros needed at least 100 searches for both local and outbound moves to qualify.

Eight of the top 10 states pulling in newcomers sit in the South, according to Retirement Living. Nevada and Arizona complete the list. Most out-of-state moves to Charlotte came from nearby states like South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, according to a midyear analysis by U-Haul.

“Perhaps the low cost of living is a draw, with states like Texas, Florida and South Carolina boasting some of the most affordable cities in the country,” researchers wrote, according to the Charlotte Observer. “Southern states also tend to have warmer climates, which most Americans prefer over chillier temperatures.”

 Close to 3% of moves to North Carolina in the past year originated from out of state. The latest Census data confirm this. That compares to 3.6% who moved from a different county within the same state and 5.1% who relocated within the same county.

A 2025 poll by Penske Truck Rental examined factors that prompted moves nationwide. The top reasons were: wanting to live closer to loved ones at 28%, better career opportunities at 27%, lower cost of living at 23%, and need for more space at 23%.

The online survey sampled 279 U.S. adults who moved to a new town in the past five years.

Kansas City, Missouri, made the top 10 stickiest metros in the U.S. Dallas, Texas, came next. Indianapolis, Indiana; Providence, Rhode Island; and Atlanta, Georgia, completed the rankings.