Figure 1 shows a steady decline in interstate migration rates between 1996 and 2024 across all age groups. The figure also shows that moving rates are consistently higher for younger adults (25-34) than for older age groups and that mobility has declined within every age group. Thus, the overall decline in the mobility rate (age 25+) is due to a combination of population aging and mobility falling within every age group.
Americans move less than they used to/stay where the grew-up: “Some of the explanations for the decline in mobility involve long-term trends — such as population aging or increased earnings opportunities for women — that make moving costlier. Others appeal to changes in the geographic distribution of earnings, urban amenities and housing prices, all of which make moving less rewarding.”