Americans Are Moving Less (And It’s a Big Opportunity for Churches)

We often hear this persistent refrain in our cultural discourse: Americans are a restless people who refuse to settle down and establish deep roots. The prevailing narrative suggests that most folks are ready to pack up their entire lives at a moment’s notice to chase a better paycheck, a new romance, or a fresh start elsewhere. But here is the absolutely fascinating part about that story: it is empirically false.

In the 1950s, about 20% of the American population moved each year. There were good reasons for this, of course. Employment was largely in factories. They often closed on short notice, forcing people to uproot and find a new way to make a living. What was the share of Americans who moved in 2019? It was just half that rate: 11%. It is important to note that the majority of these moves aren’t across the country or even to another