The United States added 1.8 million residents from July 2024 to July 2025, while North Carolina recorded the largest net domestic migration gain and California the largest loss. National population growth slowed to 0.5%, down from 1.0% one year earlier.
The main national change was net international migration, which fell from 2.7 million to 1.3 million. Inside the country, residents continued to redistribute toward parts of the South and West, although the pattern varied sharply by state.
The 2026 national migration picture
Population growth combines natural change and international migration at the national level. Domestic migration moves people between states and therefore redistributes population rather than adding to the national total.
North Carolina led domestic gains; California had the largest loss
Net domestic migration subtracts people moving out of a state from people moving in from elsewhere in the United States. A positive number means more domestic arrivals than departures. It does not show the total number moving in or the total moving out.
South Carolina posted the highest state population-growth rate at 1.5%, supported by strong domestic migration. Texas added residents through several components even as net international migration slowed.
Every region grew, but the pace changed
All four Census regions gained population. The South remained the largest contributor but slowed from 1.4% growth to 0.9%. The Northeast slowed from 0.8% to 0.2%. The Midwest recorded positive net domestic migration for the first time this decade, a modest gain of about 16,000.
Net migration does not show the full moving market
A state with 500,000 arrivals and 450,000 departures has a net gain of 50,000, but one million movements contributed to that result. That is why gross state-to-state flows, net domestic migration, population change, and moving-company activity should not be used interchangeably.
The annual mover-count article explains the national ACS total. The distance guide explains how Census groups intercounty moves by mileage.
Moveline’s market view is operational, not a population estimate
In this internal dataset, a “record” is a partner-network lead, not evidence of a booking, shipment, completed move, or unique person.
Moveline analyzed approximately 1.6 million internal moving records covering July 31, 2025 through July 30, 2026. These records describe activity within Moveline’s network; they are not a national population or migration estimate.
What the report means for a household
A popular destination can have strong job growth and new housing, but it can also face competition for rentals, insurance pressure, traffic, school enrollment changes, and limited mover capacity on busy dates. State migration rank is a reason to research a community, not a reason to skip the address-level work.
Read the national, regional, and state figures in order
Start with national population change, then identify whether births, deaths, international migration, or domestic migration explains it. Move to regional and state figures only after those definitions are clear; a state gain, a directional flow, and total moving activity answer different questions.
