About a quarter of adults say they’ve moved for the person they loved and to pursue a romantic relationship at some point in their lives, a new survey shows. It’s likely to pay off too, couples report.
Men are slightly more likely to relocate than women (27% versus 23%, respectively), and millennials are more willing to make a move for love than other generations, according to a survey of about 1,000 adults from HireAHelper, a moving and relocation firm.
But relocating for a relationship can be tricky. A third of adults say that making up their mind to move for a romantic relationship was one of the toughest parts of the process, followed by the actual moving process, according to the survey. Homesickness was another commonly cited issue, with the difficulty of movers adjusting to life in a new area and leaving their old lives behind, the survey found. Men tended to have a more difficult time making up their mind to move than women in moving for a romantic relationship (38% of men compared to 28% of women), and managing changes to the relationship after the move too (13% versus 11%). Women found it more difficult to find housing in their new location (13% versus 7%).
But for most, the move was worth it. Almost three quarters of those who say they moved for a romantic partner are still together or were together for more than a year after the move, according to the survey. Two in three of the adults surveyed say they have no regrets about moving for a significant other. Not surprising, couples still together tend to be the happiest about their choice to move, but even when the relationships didn’t last, many adults also reported being happy about their decision to relocate. Just over one-half of people who were together 6 months or less after relocating for a partner said they’re still glad they made the move, the survey found.
About 44% of adults surveyed say that they’d be more willing to move for love if they had a long-distance partner. But in some cases, there may be a distance to how far that love will go. Forty-six percent say they would only be willing to move within their own city or state to be closer to a romantic partner. Forty-four percent say they’d be open to moving across state lines or even further.
Also, 68% of adults said they would need to be together at least six months before they’d even be willing to discuss relocating together. One in five say they’d be willing to consider moving for a partner they’d been with for less than six months; 12% say they wouldn’t move for a romantic partner at all.
“Overall, Americans are fairly open to the idea of moving for love, and a quarter of adults have actually done so,” the survey researchers note. “And most people who relocate to pursue a romantic relationship … [find] resettling nearer to a romantic partner has a solid chance of succeeding, sustaining, and paying off even when you don’t stay together.”Source: “2019 Survey: Moving for Love Is Likely to Pay Off,” Hire a Helper (May 2019)
