Brittany and Ryan Arthur could not afford to buy a home in Portland, Oregon — at least one that was move-in ready, would accommodate their growing family and was in a neighborhood they liked.
“To live in the location we’d want, with access to amenities that we’d want, we would be either in a tiny condo, which didn’t feel realistic for a growing young family like ours, or we would have to make some big sacrifices and be outside of the city itself,” Ryan Arthur, 41, said.
In June, the couple and their two children — ages 4.5 years and 9 months — moved to Kansas City, Missouri.
“The housing market was just unreachable in Portland, especially in combination with childcare costs," Brittany Arthur, 39, said. "The math just didn’t work for those things to come together.”
Missouri is one of eight Midwestern states that saw growth from domestic migration between 2020 and 2025. In that period, the state grew by about 56,000 people who moved there from other states.
While the Arthurs moved to Missouri from halfway across the country, much of the state’s growth is coming from closer to home.
“The domestic migrants, a lot of them are coming from Illinois,” said Luke Dietterle, regional economic development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, in a KBIA article. “Of all of our border states, Illinois is experiencing the most significant population loss, and in that case, Illinois’ loss is Missouri’s gain.”
Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska also saw declines in domestic migration from 2020 to 2025.
News headlines may indicate people are now moving to the Midwest in droves, but across the 12 states counted as the Midwest by the U.S. Census Bureau, data shows the region grew by a modest 16,000 in 2025 due to domestic migration. The total population of the Midwest is about 70 million, according to the Census Bureau.
“While the net domestic migration was a relatively modest 16,000, this is still a notable turnaround from the substantial domestic migration losses in 2021 and 2022 of 175,000 or greater,” said Marc Perry, a senior demographer at the U.S. Census Bureau in an online article.
According to census data, the early 2020s saw the Midwest consistently losing people to other regions, with the south gaining the most new residents from other states. During those years, the region lost more than 500,000 residents to other states.
Domestic migration matters for Midwestern states at a time when population growth by natural increase (births), international immigration and domestic migration has slowed in many states. For example, Iowa’s population grew by a mere 0.4% between 2010 and 2025. In the same period, the Kansas population grew by less than 0.3%.
When more residents move out than move in, states lose tax revenue. There’s also an impact on the economy as the consumer base shrinks, according to Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy research organization.
“At its most raw, it’s survival,” said Matt Godinez, an assistant commerce secretary for Kansas. “We cannot recruit these amazing companies. We cannot recruit talent and grow our economies without the population numbers on our end.”
Moving motivation
Like the Arthurs, the main motivator for many domestic migrants is the cost of housing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Even though home prices have risen across the Midwest, they are still lower than buyers can find in many other states.
For example, according to real estate company Redfin, the median Omaha, Nebraska, home price grew almost 5% between 2025 and 2026 to about $283,000. However, that’s far less expensive than Seattle’s median 2026 home price of about $818,000.
According to Redfin, between 2025 and 2026, the median price of a home in Kansas City, Missouri, grew nearly 10% to about $304,000. As of May 2026, the median price of a home in Portland, Oregon, was about $534,000.
Many other factors can affect domestic migration patterns, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For example, an oil boom in North Dakota brought an increase in the working-age male population to that state between 2011 and 2015, according to census data. Americans ages 55 and older have driven migration to coastal counties in South Carolina for much of the past 15 years. Similarly, Florida’s Sumter County continued to grow rapidly — “suggesting that aging and retirement can be strong motivators for domestic moves,” a Census Bureau article.
A number of studies point to other predictors of state-to-state migration:
- Availability of jobs
- Climate
- Cultural, recreation and entertainment attractions
- Housing access and affordability
- Sales, property and other taxes
- Social and family ties
- Transportation and mass transit
- Wages and salaries
The Arthurs were familiar with Kansas City — it’s Ryan Arthur’s home town — but the couple still researched other cities before making their decision.
“We talked about Boise for a while, even Minneapolis and St. Paul. Until we really started watching some YouTube videos about winter there. And then we were like, ‘I don’t know if we’re cut out for that,’” Brittany Arthur said.
The Arthurs’ criteria match many of the domestic migration drivers cited by experts. Housing was a big one, but so was having a social network.
“I think what really brought us back to Kansas City was also the web of friends and family we have here. And just the culture, too. It’s such an approachable city,” Ryan Arthur said.
‘Midwest is best’
Dozens of communities across the Midwest are trying to attract new residents from other states through incentive programs.
For example, the village of Elwood, Nebraska, offers free lots to citizens and legal residents who commit to building homes in the community. The village also provides down payment assistance for new home construction — 10% of building costs up to $25,000.
Evan Mock, an Indiana native, co-founded MakeMyMove.com, a free matchmaking platform for people looking to move and communities that want to attract talent.
“Affordability is one of the top reasons people are moving,” Mock said. “We see people from California, Texas and Florida. Many are shut out of quality of life where they are — whether it’s buying a home, amenities or community connection.”
A recent search of MakeMyMove.com revealed 177 Midwest communities offering relocation incentives in Midwestern states. Many of the incentives target remote workers.
Partnering with MakeMyMove.com, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, launched a campaign to attract remote workers to the community. According to organizers, the program relocated 15 households to the region for a total of 30 people with an average household income of $130,000.
“The Midwest is best for a lot of reasons,” Mock said. “It may not be San Francisco or New York, but for a lot of people that’s a feature, not a bug.”
Hutchinson, Kansas, offers $5,000 in cash to people who relocate, along with up to $5,000 for new homebuyer assistance. Topeka, the Kansas state capital, offers up to $15,000 toward purchasing a home or $10,000 toward renting for qualifying employees hired by local companies.
Mock called Kansas a leader in offering relocation programs, with at least 11 counties around the state offering incentives of some kind — including grants, cash and tuition assistance to new residents to attend local community colleges.
“For communities, this is an economic development play,” he said. “When you recruit talent, that person brings their economic impact to the community.”
Godinez, the Kansas assistant commerce secretary, said an initiative called Love Kansas aims to retain current residents, persuade former Kansans to return home and attract people from other states.
“I love the look on someone’s face from California when I tell them what a four-bedroom, two-bath, 2,500-square-foot home goes for in Kansas,” he said. “We really lean into that. But not just do you have affordable living, but you also have a sense of community.”
Taxes, humidity and bugs
The Arthurs did their research before moving back to the Midwest, but there were still a few surprises. Ryan Arthur had sticker shock when he first shopped for groceries in Kansas City. Oregon does not have a general sales tax, while Missouri does.
“If you go purchase something in Portland and it’s $3.99, it’s $3.99 at checkout, and that’s just not the case here,” he said.
While lower or lack of state taxes can be a driver for some people interested in relocating, it was not a motivator for the Arthurs.
“We believe in paying taxes,” Brittany Arthur said. “We want to support public schools and libraries and all the things that make our cities run well. But it is a big factor in trying to budget and plan for future things.
Before the move, Brittany Arthur said the couple was surprised to learn that Missouri charges property tax on personal vehicles. They bought their car — which they share — in Oregon before moving.
Ryan Arthur described himself as a stay-at-home dad, which is saving the couple on childcare costs at least for now, while he’s job hunting. The couple said there seem to be fewer available daycare openings in Kansas City than in the Portland area.
“That’s one reality for us right now,” Ryan Arthur said. “Our younger child is 9 months old, and we’re on several wait lists for childcare.”
Brittany Arthur owns her own freelance writing business and works from home. The new house has ample space for her home office, a far cry from the corner she used in the family’s Portland apartment.
“I keep finding myself feeling really grateful to be here, to be in our neighborhood, and to have the simple things, like so much more natural light pouring in our windows and more space to live into,” she said.
They’ve only been back in the Midwest for about seven weeks, so the Arthurs are cautious in their assessment of life in Kansas City so far. Still, Ryan Arthur said, moving has clarified a number of things for the family.
“I can see multiple years down the road and picture our lives,” he said. “And it’s not us just trying to figure out how to live in the current moment. I can see how we can build.”
Brittany Arthur added: “The great Midwest trade-off. You get a more affordable cost of living, but you’re dealing with humidity and bugs.”
The Midwest Newsroom is an enterprise journalism collaboration that includes Iowa Public Radio, KCUR, Nebraska Public Media, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR. There are many ways you can contact us with story ideas and leads, and you can find that information here. The Midwest Newsroom is a partner of The Trust Project. We invite you to review our ethics and practices here.
METHODOLOGY
For this article, Holly Edgell interviewed Brittany and Ryan Arthur of Kansas City. She connected with the Arthurs after Ryan Arthur responded to an affordability questionnaire distributed by The Midwest Newsroom in April 2026. In addition, Edgell interviewed a Kansas commerce department official and the founder of MakeMyMove.com, a company that connects people looking to relocate with communities offering incentives. Edgell reviewed and incorporated insights from a variety of publications that address domestic migration. Senior data journalist Daniel Wheaton analyzed U.S. Census Bureau data provided by Ness Sandoval, a demographer at St. Louis University.
REFERENCES
Annual and Cumulative Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change for the United States | U.S. Census Bureau, Ness Sandoval (2020-25)
Elwood, Nebraska | Wheatfield Addition housing program
Love Kansas | Kansas Department of Commerce
How Cities Get Top Talent: Predictors of Migration in the US - Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise (Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Aug. 29, 2024)
U.S. Population Growth Slows Due to Historic Decline in Net International Migration (U.S. Census Bureau | Jan. 27, 2026)
More people coming than going: Most states in Midwest show net gain from domestic migration (The Council of State Governments Midwestern Office | March 9, 2026)
Jobs, Warm Weather and Retirement Destinations Contribute to Domestic Migration Patterns (U.S. Census Bureau | March 26, 2026)
Americans Are Moving to States with Lower Taxes and Sound Tax Structures (Tax Foundation | April 20, 2026)
Most States’ Population Growth Slowed in 2025 as International Migration Declined | The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew Research | May 26, 2026)
TYPE OF ARTICLE
News — Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable source
