WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans are looking for a new address than they were a decade ago, the Census Bureau said Thursday.
New data showed more than 1 in 10 Americans moved between 2012 and 2013 because of job, family or housing reasons. More than 35 million Americans changed residences, meaning that 11.7 percent of the country older than the age of 1 had a new address during that time period.
But the last time it asked, the Census Bureau found more than 42 million people found a new home between 1998 and 1999, a rate of 15.9 percent.
Both times, the most popular answer to why people wanted to move was because of housing and family. In 2013, 45 percent of those who moved said they moved because they “wanted a new or better home/apartment,” “other housing reason” or “other family reason.” In 1999, 43.5 percent gave those same three reasons.