Charlotte natives and longtime residents often say the city is “full,” a tongue-in-cheek way to discourage newcomers. But a new study suggests residents aren’t in a rush to leave.

The study from moveBuddha ranked the Charlotte metro area as the “stickiest” major metro in the country, meaning people there are more likely to stay close to home, even when they’re planning a move.

According to the analysis, nearly one in four move searches in Charlotte stayed within the metro, a rate 76% higher than the national average.

The Queen City led a group of Southern metros dominating the rankings, including Greenville, South Carolina; Daytona Beach, Florida; Louisville, Kentucky and Tulsa, Oklahoma, which all posted “stickiness” rates near or above 20%.

Raleigh — the only other North Carolina city on the list — ranked No. 15 with a “stickiness” rate of 16.5%.

Here’s what you need to know.

Nearly 3% of moves to North Carolina in the last year were from out of state, the latest Census data show. That’s compared to 3.6% people who moved from a different county (within the same state) and 5.1% who relocated within the same county, The Charlotte Observer reported.

In Charlotte specifically, most out-of-state moves to the metro originated from nearby states South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, according to a midyear analysis by U-Haul.

For intrastate migration, the top origin metros, in ranking order, were: Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington, Asheville and Fayetteville, the report showed.

Eight of the top 10 states seeing an influx of newcomers are in the South (plus Nevada and Arizona), according to Retirement Living.

“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. “Southern states also tend to have warmer climates, which most Americans prefer over chillier temperatures.”

A 2025 poll by Penske Truck Rental examined other factors that prompted moves nationwide. The top reasons were:

Desire to live closer to loved ones (28%)

Better career opportunities (27%)

Lower cost of living / affordability (23%)

Need for more space (23%)

The online survey sampled 279 U.S. adults who moved to a new city or town in the last five years, the company said.

Here are the 10 stickiest metro areas in the U.S., according to moveBuddha:

Charlotte, North Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina

Daytona Beach, Florida

Louisville, Kentucky

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Kansas City, Missouri

Dallas, Texas

Indianapolis, Indiana

Providence, Rhode Island

Atlanta, Georgia

Researchers examined data from moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator, looking at searches made between March 1, 2025, and Feb. 28, 2026. To qualify, metros needed at least 100 searches for both local and outbound moves. Rankings were based on the share of mover interest that remained within the same metro area.

Portions of this story were previously published in The Charlotte Observer.

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