People used to call them flyover states, but now Americans are flocking to this region
New Report: More Americans Are Moving to the Heartland States—Here’s Why
Published on May 05, 2025
There are many reasons people move—jobs, weather, family and affordability top the list. And, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many workers to reevaluate their work-life balance. People fled city centers for wide open spaces, and though many have returned to urban areas, work-from-home options have led to greater geographic flexibility.
“We’re living through a period of remarkable worker mobility,” says Evan Hock, co-founder and COO of MakeMyMove, an online relocation marketplace that helps attract remote workers to new communities. “Remote workers are geographically free agents, and they can live wherever they want.”
That includes places typically overlooked by previous generations. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, what’s called the “heartland region” experienced a 2.65% uptick in population growth between 2020 and 2024, and 39% of U.S. residents now live there. For the first time since 1959, population gains in this region exceeded the national average (2.59%).
Reader’s Digest talked to Hock about what’s driving these population shifts and examined a recent report by Realtor.com that breaks down the data with economist Jiayi Xu. Keep reading to learn whether the heartland is right for your next move.
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Which states are considered the heartland?
Although most people in the U.S. are familiar with “the heartland of America,” not everyone realizes how vast this region is. Generally speaking, the heartland consists of the states in the middle of the country that don’t border an ocean, though the Rocky Mountain states typically aren’t included.
As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, 12 Midwest states make up the core of the heartland: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. But organizations like Heartland Forward, a nonprofit focused on fostering jobs and improving health outcomes in the heartland, also include Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas—for a grand total of 20 states.
What defines the heartland?
America’s heartland is also a cultural region, rooted in geography but not bound by it. The heartland’s culture historically emphasizes traditional values, agrarian life and a strong sense of community. The region has a “through it all, we stick together” mentality, and residents get together and support one another, whether it’s at the church potluck, the Saturday-night dance at the community center or just an impromptu chat outside the feed store.
Of course, there’s more than farming in the heartland, and businesses taking root in the region are nothing new. But the types of jobs available in this region are changing. Now, businesses are attracting young professionals with well-paying jobs in tech, manufacturing, health care and financial services, but there are also increased opportunities for remote work.
The data shows that many workers who can live anywhere are choosing to live in the heartland.
Why are Americans moving to these states?
Many things draw coastal residents to the middle of the country. Corporations are moving headquarters, setting up satellite offices and building manufacturing facilities in more affordable areas. And Hock says many cities and towns in the heartland are using incentive programs to recruit people directly.
“But what’s driving the moves comes down to old-fashioned consumer preference,” Hock says. Many people want and need urban amenities, but they’re also tired of high prices for housing (and pretty much everything!) on both coasts. As a result, the heartland has entered the chat. And based on recent migratory patterns, it seems to be giving the people what they want. Here are the main benefits:
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is the primary reason people relocate to the heartland, according to Realtor.com economist Xu. Of course, housing affordability is relative to wages and whether one lives alone, but generally speaking, cheaper housing drives geographical fluidity. People move out of the most expensive cities (looking at you, New York and San Francisco) and get way more bang for their real-estate buck.
But with so many people moving to the heartland, inventory is low and prices are creeping up. Realtor.com data shows that in “heartland hubs” like Columbus (Ohio), Grand Rapids (Michigan), Indianapolis, Nashville and Austin, housing prices have increased between 17% and 47% from 2019 to 2025.
Abundant job opportunities
For people interested in tech, the heartland has a lot to offer. Established companies and startups alike are looking for tax incentives, affordable housing and abundant workers, and cities in the region are stepping up. In addition to jobs, the heartland offers other incentives (some in the form of cash!) designed to attract people to the area.
“Additionally, the job market in many of these regions is growing, with relatively low unemployment rates,” says Xu in the Realtor.com press release. Places like Silicon Valley in California have become increasingly unaffordable, but there’s now a “Silicon Heartland” project near Columbus, Ohio: Tech giant Intel is investing $28 billion in two semiconductor manufacturing facilities, which will create around 3,000 permanent jobs, in addition to the construction jobs needed to build the facilities.
The cost of living is reasonable
In addition to reasonable housing costs, the overall cost of living is manageable in the heartland. As an example, Akron, Ohio, is now the most affordable city in the U.S. for retirees, and many heartland areas have similar costs of living. While some of that has to do with affordable housing and lower costs on things like utilities, another perk is that you can get out and enjoy yourself without breaking the bank.
You can actually tell a lot about a place by how expensive it is to get a quintessential family meal like a burger and fries. It shocks nobody to learn that on the coasts, it could cost close to $100 to take a family of four out for burgers—the most American of American meals—but in most heartland cities, you can slash that check in half.
Community connection
In a world that feels increasingly uncertain, community connection is at the top of many people’s wish lists. If you move to the heartland, you’ll likely be welcomed to the neighborhood with a plate of brownies—if not an entire casserole—but the friendliness and hospitality go even deeper.
Hock says that some cities he works with offer unique incentives to newcomers, like positions on nonprofit boards, which help new residents immediately feel part of their adopted community. This is especially important for remote workers who can feel isolated and lonely in a new place. “People are saying they want to get involved, and this is a great way to meet people, network and give back.”
“Some assume small-town folks won’t be welcoming, but we’re seeing a welcoming spirit in practice,” Hock adds.
Where are people moving from?
Generally speaking, people are moving from larger, more urban environments in California, Texas, Florida, New York and Washington, D.C. As an example, 24% of recent arrivals to Columbus, Ohio (one of the cities Realtor.com highlighted) came from Washington, D.C., and another 10% were New Yorkers. Also moving to the heartland are recent college graduates getting their first jobs and moving into their first homes. Hock calls these “anchor points.”
“Anchor points are when you start to plant some roots, and release points are when you have opportunities to move,” he says. Hock adds that an obvious anchor point is just after college graduation, and a release point can happen anytime you’re looking for something your current location doesn’t already offer you. If you’re worried the locals won’t welcome you, Hock says to give them a chance: “It’s fun to watch locals wrap their arms around transplants and welcome them,” he says.
So give the heartland a try! “People want both value and values,” Hock says. “They want to feel like they’re not part of the rat race and live where they can have a good life and feel good about it—because we’re in this era of worker empowerment, they’re free to make choices about where they live.”
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Sources:
- Evan Hock, co-founder and COO of MakeMyMove; interviewed, May 2025
- Jiayi Xu, applied economist at Realtor.com; via press release, April 2025
- Realtor.com: “Americans Are Migrating Back to the Heartland States—and It’s Causing Home Prices to Spike in These 5 Cities”
- U.S. Census Bureau: “Measuring America’s People and Economy”
- U.S. Census Bureau: “Net International Migration Drives Highest U.S. Population Growth in Decades”
- Heartland Forward: “How is the heartland region defined?”
