OCALA, FL (352today.com) – If it feels like more people are moving to The Villages, you’d be right.
According to data just released from moveBuddha’s annual migration report, The Villages was the most moved to city in the U.S. last year.
Ocala, the Horse Capital of the World, came in fourth as the most popular place for relocation.
The top five cities to move to, according to moveBuddha, are as follows:
- The Villages, FL
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Asheville, NC
- Ocala, FL
- Summerville, SC
The report says the rankings reflect an increased demand by retirees to live in warm weather climates. According to the report, The Villages was by far the most sought after, with an in-to-out ratio of 3.75, meaning for every 375 people moving in, there were only 100 heading out.
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U.S. Census Bureau data backs that up. Sumter County says it was the nation’s fastest-growing county between 2010 and 2020 because of The Villages.
Ocala’s inflow ratio was 2.76.
The report also says Florida remains a magnet for interstate migration, although the influx has slowed. According to the report, the Sunshine State as a whole saw a decline of 34% inbound moves last year compared to 2022.
The report attributes affordable living and quality of life are some of the reasons people are moving to the 352.
By the way, in case you are wondering where people are fleeing from, the report says most of the top cities people are moving away from are in California. Fifteen of the top 25 cities with the highest outflow in 2023 were in the Golden State, according to the moveBuddha data.
To see how the rest of Florida fared and check out other parts of the country, you can view the full report here.