According to yearly figures from the Current Population Survey, conducted by the Census Bureau and reported in The Wall Street Journal last week, domestic migration rates are hovering near all-time recorded lows after just 7.9% of Americans switched towns or cities last year. That’s fewer than half of the 16.7% who were on the move in 1994, as the share of people relocating even within the same county plummeted from 10.4% 30 years ago to a little over 4% now.
So, what happened?
Homeowners being “locked in” to their current houses isn’t helping, as the prospect of trading in the generous mortgage rate they may have picked up around the pandemic for the current ~7% level proves, understandably, unappealing. But mortgage rates were high in the past, too, suggesting more fundamental influences are also at play.
Technology, meanwhile, has made the ability to work remotely more feasible, fraying the cord that required people to move to get closer to their office jobs. Disproportionately higher rents in the likes of LA, New York, and Miami may also be discouraging people from moving to some of America’s most sought-after cities.
Furthermore, research suggests that wage differentials between states have generally been getting smaller, a megatrend that’s been evident in the US since the late 1800s, reducing the incentive to move in some cases. It’s rarely now a local labor market — often it’s a national, or even an international, one.
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Dataset
| 1994 | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same county | 10% | 8% | 8% | 4% |
| Same state, different county | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Different state | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1% |
| Total share of U.S. movers | 17% | 14% | 12% | 8% |
The average American renter now stays in the same home for four years, and 28% stick around for seven years or more. A Talker Research study of 2,000 renters reveals that the old cycle of constantly moving apartments has given way to something different: renters who treat their apartments like permanent homes.
Baby boomers lead this trend, with 41% living in the same rental for at least seven years, followed by Gen X at 28%. About 62% of all renters say they’re unlikely to move before 2025 ends.
Why Renters Feel Torn About Moving
Even as renters stay put longer, many wrestle with conflicted feelings about their living situations. About 22% admit they want a new place but feel unprepared to leave their current home.
This inner conflict shows up in online behavior. One-third of renters browse rental listings at least once a week, even when they have no plans to move. When they do dive into apartment hunting websites, they spend more than 30 minutes scrolling through options, typically around 2:06 p.m.
About 41% of renters agree that scrolling through rental listings is the new form of mindless internet browsing.
“Today’s renters are navigating a tricky mix of uncertainty and aspiration,” said Sean Burgess, chief claims officer at Lemonade, which commissioned the survey. “It’s no wonder so many feel caught between wanting something new and not being ready to let go. Behind every listing is a hope for something better — but the process can be overwhelming.”
How Social Media Changed Rental Decorating
Modern renters actively work to make their rental spaces feel like home. Most people need about three months for a new place to feel settled, and they typically decide whether to renew their lease within six months of moving in.
Many renters bend apartment rules to achieve this comfort. About 38% make unauthorized modifications like installing storage solutions or fixtures, even when their lease agreements don’t allow such changes.
Social media has changed how renters approach decorating. Gen Z turns to TikTok for inspiration (51%), while older generations prefer YouTube: millennials (38%), Gen X (35%), and baby boomers (22%).
Renters spend an average of 35 minutes weekly looking for renter-friendly decorating tips. Popular sources include Apartment Therapy (14%), DIY Creators/Glen Scott (10%), Chip and Joanna Gaines (10%), House Beautiful (9%), and Architectural Digest (8%).
Despite investing more time and money in their rental homes, fewer than half of renters (40%) carry renters’ insurance. Yet one-third have experienced property damage while renting.
Uninsured renters shared stories of major losses: One respondent lost $5,000 worth of belongings to a lightning strike, while another shared, “I experienced a home burglary once and lost about $15,000 worth of jewelry.” Another said, “Water pipes broke and flooded the apartment from above. I lost everything and didn’t have renters' insurance.”
Among renters who experienced property damage, more than one-third (36%) lacked insurance coverage when it happened. For those who did have coverage, 68% received compensation for all or some of their losses, while only 31% found their insurance didn’t cover their damages.
“Moving out, moving on, and making a place your own is a big part of growing up,” said Burgess. “But it comes with curveballs — from leaks to break-ins — things happen when you least expect them. Having a safety net in place can make all the difference.”
These data points to a shift in American housing patterns. Renting is no longer viewed as a temporary step before homeownership but as a legitimate long-term housing choice. As renters increasingly treat their apartments as permanent residences worth personalizing and protecting, the rental market may need to adapt to meet these changing expectations.
Methodology: Talker Research conducted this survey for Lemonade between May 22-28, 2025, interviewing 2,000 American renters online. Researchers used quotas and quality controls to screen out rushed responses, inappropriate answers, and duplicate participants. The survey used a non-probability sample, which means the results may not be fully generalizable to all U.S. renters, though findings were calculated with 95% confidence levels.