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As they live in a country that’s effectively the size of a continent, American citizens that want to relocate from one state to another face quite the daunting task.

In fact the hurdles which stand between would-be movers and their end goal are getting more numerous at the moment.

Let’s talk a little more about what these challenges are, why they’re becoming more problematic right now, and what you can do to overcome them yourself.

Relocation costs are climbing

The impact of inflation is being felt in cross-country relocations, because it’s unavoidably more expensive to pay for things like labor and fuel at a time when everything else is creeping up in price.

However, there are still a number of high quality full-service national moving companies that provide their services at a competitive price point. So if you shop around and compare your options, you can still bag a bargain.

Remote work is an option

For many businesses, it makes sense to embrace remote working culture, if only to cater to the expectations of employees.

This means that it’s harder to justify offering relocation opportunities, whether to existing team members or new hires.

Recruiting someone from further afield and paying to move them and their families cross-country is less appealing when they can simply stay put and use video conferencing and cloud software packages to take up a position.

Relocation is of course seen as a perk by some, and the fact that it’s dwindling is a distinct downside to the current state of play. If you’re in this camp, then checking whether a prospective employer offers competitive relocation packages is a priority when job hunting.

Living costs are more varied

On the whole, America is a developed nation with excellent opportunities for those who want to live and work in relative comfort.

However, there are also dramatic differences in terms of what it costs to live at a given standard depending on where you look.

California is particularly problematic in this regard, with minimum wages barely being adequate for carving a niche in the more affluent communities across the state.

Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum, states like Mississippi and Kansas are far more livable from a financial perspective.

The issue is exacerbated when you consider relocating from a state where the cost of living is low, to one where it is much higher.

Having to sell a family home, only to find that it is barely enough to cover the downpayment on an equivalent dwelling elsewhere, is a galling prospect for most.

This is causing more people to think strategically about the viability of relocating. With the aforementioned concerns around inflation, moving from a costlier state to a more affordable one makes the most sense right now.

Uncertainty is taking its toll

The final point to make about the challenges of cross-country relocations in the US is that businesses and employees alike are less willing to make a major commitment to a move because of the broader uncertainty that has persisted since the pandemic began back in 2020.

To uproot your life and move thousands of miles from friends and family feels more of a risk when there are lingering fears of things like travel restrictions being imposed again at some future point.

Ultimately this is all part of the ongoing fallout of a crisis that has left significant scars across much of society. And like bodily scars, it will take time for these to heal, and for confidence to be restored. Until then, those who embrace relocation will be the true pioneers.