Easier Commutes and Cheaper Housing are Increasing as Main Reasons for Moving, Census Bureau Reports

WASHINGTON 

-- Among the 36 million people 1 year and over who moved between 2012 and 2013, 5 percent said the most important reason for moving was to be closer to work or for an easier commute, while another 8 percent cited the desire for cheaper housing, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. The most common reasons for moving in 2013 were "wanted new or better home/apartment," "other housing reason" and "other family reason."

The report, Reason for Moving: 2012 to 2013, presents an in-depth look at 19 reasons why people changed residences during the previous year and is the Census Bureau's first on this topic since 2001.

The Current Population Survey began asking a comparable version of this question in 1999. Today's report compares how these reasons have changed over time. In 1999, 3 percent moved to be closer to work or for an easier commute and 6 percent wanted cheaper housing while 21 percent of respondents "wanted [a] new or better home/apartment." This reason declined to 15 percent in 2013 and was not statistically different from the "other family" reason. 

"We asked people to select the reason that contributed most to their decision to move. Picking one reason can be difficult as moves are often motivated by many different, and oftentimes competing, factors," said the report's author, David Ihrke, a demographer in the Census Bureau's Journey to Work and Migration Statistics Branch. "For instance, if one's primary reason for moving is to be closer to work or having an easier commute, they may have to sacrifice other preferences. This could include forgoing cheaper housing options or settling for a different neighborhood. If they mainly want cheaper housing, they may have to deal with a longer commute."

In addition to presenting the specific reasons for moving, the report combines these reasons into four collapsed categories: housing-related (48 percent); family-related, such as a change in marital status or establishing one's own household (30 percent); job-related (19 percent); and other (2 percent).

For people who moved from one county to another, moving because of a job-related reason rose with the distance of the move: 23 percent of moves less than 50 miles and 48 percent of those 500 miles or more. Moving for housing-related reasons showed change in the opposite direction, comprising 42 percent of shorter distance moves and 18 percent of longer distance ones.

      Other highlights:

• Men were more likely than women to move for job-related reasons.
• Better-educated people were more likely to move for job-related reasons than those with lower levels of education.
• Married respondents were the least likely to move for family-related reasons.
• Moves within the same county were typically for housing-related reasons, while intercounty moves and moves from abroad were more for job-related reasons.
• Several individual reasons, such as "change of climate," "health reasons" and "natural disaster," were each cited as the main reason for moving by fewer than 1 percent of householders.

The data are analyzed by a range of demographic characteristics, including age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, educational attainment, marital status, labor force status, type of move and distance moved. These national-level data were collected by the 2013 Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

For people who are seeking to move, dwellr, a new Census Bureau app powered by American Community Survey statistics, can pull up a list of U.S. locations that matches users' preferences for such variables as city size, geographic region and job type.

Did you know: May kicks off moving season

May kicks off the busiest moving season of the year. It's a time when moving vans and rental trucks show up in driveways and parking lots all across the country. Each year, one-in-eight of us changes our address; in 2013, about 36 million Americans over the age of 1 moved. Nearly two thirds of all moves are within the same county, and slightly less than 5 percent to another state. Men and women in their 20s are more apt to move, searching for a better place to live and in response to marriage, childbirth, and changing jobs. Renters are more likely to move than homeowners, and the rate of moving is lowest for those 65 and older. Among the most common state-to-state moves are New York to Florida, and California to Texas. You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at www.census.gov.

Bigger, With an Awesome Kitchen, and Close to Work, Please; New Cartus Real Estate Broker Survey Reveals Dream Home Wish List for Relocating Employees

DANBURY, Conn., -- Employees relocating to a new market for a job know very well which features and amenities they want most in their next home, and have firm ideas about its location. Their next home needs to be larger than their previous house, with an upgraded kitchen, and be located in a good school district, yet not too far from work, according to a Cartus Corporation survey taken last week.

Cartus, a leading provider of domestic and global relocation services, received responses from 267 of America's top real estate brokers who specialize in working with transferees. The brokers, all members of the Cartus Broker Network, were asked, for example, "What specifics about a home are most important to transferees?" The following ranks the top five features transferees want in their next home (percent ranking either 1 or 2 on a 5-point scale):

• A larger home than former residence – 70%
• New construction – 64%
• Single story – 37%
• Multi-story – 26%
• Smaller home than former residence – 17%

"A job transfer is a major life change for employees and their families, and finding a home that fulfills their needs is important," saidGerry Pearce, executive vice president, broker and affinity services for Cartus. "It enables the employee to transition to the new job efficiently and with little disruption to family lifestyles and routines. What we found most interesting was not only what is on their dream home wish lists, but also what isn't."

At the Heart of the Matter: An Upgraded Kitchen

For transferees, an upgraded kitchen is definitely considered the heart of their home, ranking highest on the list of desired amenities (percent ranking either 1 or 2 on a 5-point scale). However, amenities such as smart-home technology, media room/home theater, and fitness rooms didn't crack the top three most-popular items.

• Upgraded kitchen – 91%
• Master bedroom on first floor – 60%
• Finished basement – 44%
• Pool/spa – 23%
• Outdoor kitchen – 11%
• Smart-home technology (i.e., control via phone/tablet for heat, electricity, electronics, media, security, etc.) – 10%
• Media room/home theater – 7%
• Fitness room – 4%

Transferee Dream Home Location: School District and Proximity to Work Rank Highest

When it comes to dream home locations, transferees' two top choices (percent ranking either 1 or 2 on a 4-point scale) revolve around family and the job: location within a specific school district (91%) and less than a 30-minute commute to work (84%) garnered the top two spots. Rounding out the top five are: in-town location, close to shopping, dining, etc. (18%), proximity to mass transit pick up/drop off (17%), and proximity/availability of parks and recreational facilities (10%).

Real estate brokers surveyed appear to be moderately optimistic about whether their local market will benefit from greater numbers of employees being transferred: 55% believe employees being transferred into their market will increase in 2014 over last year, 42% believe their market will remain the same, and only 3% think there will be fewer transferees moving into their market.

Additionally, the majority of brokers believe that transferees will take advantage of expected low interest rates throughout 2014 and will purchase their next home (86%) versus rent (14%).