One in ten French people move every year. Whether for professional or family reasons or simply to change their living environment, there is no shortage of reasons to pack and unpack. Half of the moves take place in the summer, between June and September. But to go where? According to internal data from the company Drivalia reported by BFMTV, which analyzed the number of quotes between June 1 and August 21, 2024, Paris remains the favorite city for the French to move. Despite the (very) high price of real estate, the City of Light remains very attractive because of the many opportunities it offers for workers and students.
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Behind the capital, the South-West is popular: Toulouse and Bordeaux both rise to the podium of the French people’s favorite cities to move to this summer. Next in order are Lyon, Lille, Montpellier, Marseille, Rennes, Nantes and… Aix-en-Provence. Four years ago, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, the city famous for its calissons was nevertheless at the top of the list of priorities: at the time, 7% of those surveyed dreamed of moving to Aix-en-Provence.
In his life, a French person moves more than 4 times
The study published by the car rental company also tells us that while Paris remains highly rated, the Ile-de-France region is seeing many departures. “Residents leaving the Ile-de-France region mainly choose the Atlantic coast (between La Rochelle and Bayonne), and the PACA region for 16% each respectively,” says Drivalia. Bordeaux alone hosts 8% of moves from Paris and its region. Many people from the Ile-de-France region are settling in Bordeaux for the quality of life while keeping their jobs in Paris thanks to the rise of teleworking and the proximity of the two cities (2 hours 20 minutes by train).
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What drives the French to change address? Another survey published in mid-summer by Homebox, a storage company, tells us that 17% of respondents move to follow their spouse to the other end of the department or France. Nearly one in six French people pack their boxes to be closer to their family (15%) and less than one in ten move following retirement (7%) and divorce (7%). Unsurprisingly, young people between 20 and 25 years old are those who move the most. Without counting the various student accommodations, a French person moves on average 4.6 times during their life.