As major UK companies continue to push for a return to the office, and the next hike in rail prices takes effect at the end of the week, AnyVan reveals an increase in people now choosing to remain within their city, including Cardiff. But, which areas are still chasing a move to the county, and which are now choosing to stay put?
AnyVan, who helped with over 300,000 moves in the last 12 months, looked at how working habits and the increasing cost of commuting is impacting where people choose to live and work across the UK’s top 20 cities.
Cardiff: A City Worth Staying For
51.5% of movers in Cardiff chose to stay within the area in 2024, marking a 17% increase from the year before. In fact, Cardiff has overtaken Birmingham, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent, making it one of the biggest movers in terms of local retention.
Cardiff’s rise in the rankings should be no surprise – house prices remain more affordable than much of the UK, while locals get to enjoy world-class cultural and sporting events. The recent re-investment in Cardiff’s bus network is also giving locals more freedom to get around, while avoiding expensive rail fares.
Londoners Are Holding Onto Their Hometown
Despite a reputation for always being on the move, an impressive 70.4% of Londoners chose to stay within the Greater London area and was the first to see people starting to stay put. Home to many international company headquarters, the pull of employers in London is strong, and while TfL fares are also on the increase, it pales in comparison to a national rail season ticket.
Southampton, Liverpool and Bradford, on the other hand, have all climbed the list four places, with double digital increases in demand for inter-city moves, revealing changing home mover priorities.
UK’s 20 Largest Cities Ranked According to Likelihood to Move Locally
| City | Staying within the area (%) | Change from 2023 (%) | |
| 1 | London | 70.4% | -1% |
| 2 | Belfast | 70.3% | 5% |
| 3 | Newcastle | 61.9% | 10% |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 59.4% | 2% |
| 5 | Leeds | 55.6% | -3% |
| 6 | Glasgow | 54.3% | 3% |
| 7 | Cardiff | 51.5% | 17% |
| 8 | Sheffield | 51.3% | 5% |
| 9 | Liverpool | 50.2% | 14% |
| 10 | Southampton | 49.8% | 18% |
| 11 | Bradford | 48.0% | 15% |
| 12 | Bristol | 47.9% | 4% |
| 13 | Stoke-on-Trent | 46.5% | -4% |
| 14 | Birmingham | 44.7% | -4% |
| 15 | Derby | 44.1% | -19% |
| 16 | Hull | 42.8% | 26% |
| 17 | Leicester | 36.1% | 20% |
| 18 | Nottingham | 35.8% | -2% |
| 19 | Manchester | 34.7% | 14% |
| 20 | Coventry | 33.9% | -14% |
Coventry: The UK’s Most Restless Movers
At the other end of the scale, only 33.9% of movers from Coventry stayed put, a massive 14% drop from the previous year. But they’re not going far – for those leaving, Birmingham and Warwickshire were the most popular destinations, with over 50% of moves staying within these three neighbouring areas. This movement from the current city appears to be more common in areas like the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, where car ownership is higher and the demands of multi-national companies have less influence on employment opportunities.
Angus Elphinstone, owner of AnyVan, commented: “After years of movers ditching the city for a quieter life in the countryside, many of us are back in the office three or more days a week and we’re seeing a real shift in how people think about moving. If you’re in the city now, close to good employment opportunities, it doesn’t make as much sense to move further out. And, the rail fare hikes are yet another reason to think twice about leaving. I get it, especially in places like Cardiff, which has so much to offer that makes staying put an easy choice.”
Angus started AnyVan in 2009 with the mission of halving the number of wasted miles travelled by vans, while making moving easy and affordable. He continues: “We’re proud to partner with local removals teams to make it easier than ever to move homes – even, as Cardiff prefers, if that’s just down the road.”
To see more removal information, including the cheapest days to move in Cardiff, visit https://www.anyvan.com/removals/removals-cardiff.
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About AnyVan
- AnyVan is the UK’s largest removals and delivery platform, making moving home easier, more affordable and carbon-neutral.
- AnyVan connects customers with trusted, local transport providers in Cardiff, offering unbeatable prices on home moves of all sizes, from every corner of the country.
- AnyVan was started in 2009 by Angus Elphinstone when he discovered that 50% of vans on the road were travelling half empty. He realised that filling those empty vans would create cheaper delivery costs and it would be better for the environment.
- AnyVan has helped over 3 million people move their homes and belongings to date, and is the UK’s only carbon-neutral removals and delivery company, saving 8,520 tonnes of carbon annually.
- Get a quote instantly at anyvan.com and we’ll match you with one of our teams of local movers.
Data sources
- AnyVan database of 142,000 home removal jobs completed in the UK in 2023-2024
- TwentyCi Property & Homemover – End of Year 2024 Report
