With their promise of stability, community, and homeownership, the nation’s suburbs attract more movers than any other type of neighborhood. And now people are moving to these safe, family-friendly havens not just for the peace and quiet, but for the strong job markets as well. A considerable number of movers want to live near a thriving job market that can support them should they lose a remote job.
To this end, moveBuddha analyzed more than 210,000 move inquiries made so far in 2024 to discover the 43 suburbs with job markets so strong they attracted movers from across the nation. These job magnets not only generated more searches from people looking to move in compared to move out, but also had an annual job growth above the national average.
Takeaways From the Top Job-Magnet Suburbs
- Nine out of 10 of the most popular cities were in the South. The coastal South reigns supreme; with every city either on the shore or within a two-hour drive of it.
- The most popular city was the Charleston, South Carolina suburb of Summerville, which was 38% above the closest competitor for desirability. Summerville had a ratio of almost four to one (3.76:1) for inbound vs. outbound move searches.
- The winner in the affordability category was the Tulsa, Oklahoma suburb of Broken Arrow, where the average home price is just $275,250. Conversely, Beverly Hills landed in the top ten with an average home price of $3,511,964—more than 11 times Broken Arrow’s.
The top five job-magnet suburbs were:
- Summerville, South Carolina
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Meridian, Idaho
- Henderson, Nevada
- Bentonville, Arkansas
Job growth in these five markets ranged from 4.2% to 2.9% in 2023 to 2024, much higher than the national average of 1.55% (as measured in August 2024).
The 10 top job-magnet suburbs with the highest in-to-out move ratios in 2024 are:
- Summerville, South Carolina
- Conway, South Carolina
- Beverly Hills, California
- Winter Garden, Florida
- Davenport, Florida
- Bluffton, South Carolina
- Cary, North Carolina
- Clermont, Florida
- Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Conroe, Texas
Summerville, South Carolina: The Highest In-to-Out Move Ratio
Summerville, South Carolina sees 3.76 people searching to move in for every one looking to leave. The metro’s popularity may be due to its incredibly strong job growth: 4.2% year-over-year between August 2023 and 2024. Known for its red brick historic district, farmer’s market, and community events like the Flowertown Festival, Summerville is also one of just three suburbs in the top 10 with an average home value under $400,000 (the other two being Conway, South Carolina, and Davenport, Florida).
The 10 most affordable of the job-magnet suburbs everyone wants to move to in 2024:
Suburbs used to provide lower home prices compared to cities, but that’s not always the case now. Post-pandemic, some suburban real estate prices have caught up to their urban counterparts.
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Leads in Affordability
With an average home price of $310,641, the nation’s most affordable suburbs offer a slice of the American dream at a price 7% less on average than the average American home. Broken Arrow makes suburban living even more attainable, with home prices averaging $275,250.
The Least Affordable Job-Magnet Suburb?
Even though Beverly Hills makes the top 10, it’s very much an outlier. The average home price in Beverly Hills is $3,511,964, which is 685% more than the average of the other top 10 suburbs, and the Los Angeles metro to which Beverly Hills belongs has one of the lowest job growth rates on the list, just 1.6%. It’s also worth noting that the city may be earning many searches due to its fame.
The 10 Least Affordable Job-Magnet Suburbs
The most expensive suburbs offer amenities that are hard to find elsewhere, like iconic views, Hollywood cache, and amazing academic lecture circuits.
The Top Five Job-Magnet Suburbs
South Carolina added more than 80,000 jobs between May 2023 and 2024, and part of that is due to its growing tech hub. South Carolina’s low country, where Summerville and Mt. Pleasant are located, ranks fifth in the nation for tech industry output, and includes a new Google data center and local startups like Gigpro.
