Recent movers refers to the share of households that moved into their current residence within the past two years, distinguishing between renter- and owner-occupied housing units. This indicator is frequently used to identify neighborhood mobility, population turnover and residential stability (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). In general, renters relocate far more often than homeowners, but Los Angeles exhibits particularly strong spatial variation even within these tenure statuses across the county (Clark & Ledwith, 2024).  Recent-mover rates tend to be much lower in more stable suburban neighborhoods compared to other highly dynamic urban cores such as Downtown, Culver City, and Playa Vista. By splitting the dataset between renters and homeowners, this dataset allows researchers to examine how tenure type interacts with affordability, neighborhood change, and housing market stress.

A high share of recent movers may signal rapid neighborhood turnover, new housing development, and potential gentrification pressures. Areas such as Downtown LA, Koreatown, and Hollywood exhibit relatively higher mover rates, paralleling “early or ongoing gentrification” zones identified by the UC Berkeley Urban Displacement Project (2023). These districts have attracted younger, higher-income residents and new development, leading to rising rents and visible demographic restructuring (Hendrix, 2024; Los Angeles Times, 2024). Conversely, districts in South and East LA show much lower shares of new residents—suggesting relative residential stability, though often coupled with rent burden and limited mobility. As UCLA’s Equitable Rent and Mobility and Housing Stress studies note, declining construction and rising renewal rates have constrained mobility even in western sub-markets such as Marina del Rey and Culver City, where lease renewal rates climbed markedly after 2023 (Clark & Ledwith, 2024; NMHC, 2025).

Breaking down recent-mover data by renters and homeowners helps reveal distinct patterns of neighborhood change. Renter units in Los Angeles can exhibit turnover as high as 54 percent, compared with roughly 35 percent among homeowner units—reflecting renters’ greater exposure to market volatility (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2025). Homeowners generally display lower mobility, yet “exit effects” arise when property appreciation encourages sales and reinvestment (Hendrix, 2024). Understanding these distinctions enables policymakers to identify where change stems from renter displacement versus owner replacement, illuminating how mobility interacts with affordability, stability, and demographic transformation across Los Angeles’ evolving urban landscape.

Written by Katherine Ding