Birkenhead is the UK’s most popular location for movers, with a 27% increase in net migration, new research reveals.
Over 11,000 Britons settled down in the port town – just across the river from Liverpool – despite the average house price in the city being over £28,500 lower.
Self storage industry supplier Stora analysed net migration figures and average house prices in 50 locations to find out where Brits are choosing to stay and leave.
Wigan is the second most popular location for movers – net migration increased by 26% in the Greater Manchester town, with many possibly motivated by the low average house prices at £187,000.
The study also revealed that Luton is the least popular location for movers, with more people choosing to move out of Luton than move in, and the increase in net migration is negative at -39%.
It comes as the rising cost of living is influencing moving decisions, with some 39% of British expats admitting it played a role in their decision to move abroad.
Top 10 popular locations for movers
| Rank | City | Net migration | Increase in migration |
| 1 | Birkenhead | 2,446 | 27% |
| 2 | Wigan | 3,033 | 26% |
| 3 | Northampton | 3,513 | 25% |
| 4 | Mansfield | 589 | 10% |
| 5 | Dudley | 1,012 | 8% |
| 6 | Warrington | 694 | 7% |
| 7 | Southend-on-Sea | 572 | 6% |
| 8 | Newport | 330 | 5% |
| 9 | Bexley | 572 | 3% |
| 10 | Milton Keynes | 351 | 2% |
Birkenhead has the highest increase in net migration, with an average house price of £210,338 – significantly lower than the national average at £272,000.
Following Wigan, where 15,000 people have moved, Northampton is the most desirable location with net migration increasing by a quarter, despite average house prices significantly higher in the East Midlands town at £255,130.
Mansfield and Dudley – both towns in the Midlands – are also popular relocation spots with net migration at 589 and 1,012, respectively.
Least popular locations for movers
Luton comes out as the worst location with net migration nearly -7,000 and average house prices £8,000 higher than the national average.
Portsmouth is also unpopular with a net migration of -5,500, followed by Leicester at -9,305.
| Rank | City | Net migration | Increase in migration |
| 1 | Luton | -6,932 | -39% |
| 2 | Portsmouth | -5,519 | -30% |
| 3 | Leicester | -9,305 | -30% |
| 4 | Kingston upon Hull | -3,660 | -24% |
| 5 | Slough | -2,972 | -23% |
| 6 | Bradford | -5,628 | -23% |
| 7 | Coventry | -6,865 | -21% |
| 8 | Birmingham | -16,373 | -21% |
| 9 | Oxford | -4,927 | -20% |
| 10 | City of Westminster | -4,956 | -19% |
To read the full research, visit: https://stora.co/blog/uk-moving-trends-2026
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