When making a long-distance move, some renters search for jobs in multiple cities before moving (job-first movers), while others pick the city in which to live and then find a job (location-first movers). In a new report, Apartment List surveyed over 20,000 Apartment List users to better understand the motivation behind long-distance moves.
Nationwide, 46.5 percent of those who moved to a new metro were job-first movers, but this share varies significantly by education, with college-educated renters more likely to be job-first movers. The metros with the most location-first movers tend to be more affordable, fast-growing Sunbelt metros, while those with the largest share of job-first movers are tech hubs with high housing costs.
They also found that:
- 63.9% of Charlotte metro renters are location-first movers, choosing to move to Charlotte prior to searching for a job.
- 57.6% of Charlotte renters are planning to settle down in the area long-term. Compared to the national average, more Charlotte renters plan on settling down in their current metro.
- Renters in more affordable metros are more likely to plan on settling down in their current metros. Of renters surveyed living in lower rent metros, 42.4% plan on settling down in their current metro, compared to 34.3% of renters in more expensive metros.
Charlotte was also found to be the 5th best location-first city for movers, behind San Diego, Portland, Phoenix, and Las Vegas;
What was your initial reason for moving to Charlotte?