Corporate Headquarters Relocation Trends: A Reset in 2025

After years of rapid corporate headquarters relocations driven by shifting workforce dynamics, tax reform, and the rise of hybrid work, 2025 marked a year of recalibration. While the total number of HQ moves appears to have slowed from prior years, the strategic importance of each move has increased.

Our internal analysis at Site Selection Group, combined with external data sources, confirms that fewer companies are relocating in 2025, but those that do are making large, calculated investments in markets that offer long-term cost and talent advantages.

The Numbers Behind 2025’s HQ Relocation Activity

The Site Selection Group team tracked over a dozen significant corporate headquarters projects announced in 2025. A few notable examples include:

Other states that saw headquarters activity include Virginia, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Minnesota.

Key Themes from the Data:

• Sun Belt states remain the top destinations, especially North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, and Texas.
• Most relocations involve mid-sized companies, often in aerospace, manufacturing, fintech, or AI sectors.
• High average wages and sizable investments signal that companies are relocating core functions, not just satellite offices.
• Charlotte alone had three major HQ moves (Scout Motors, Daimler Truck Financial Services, Ralliant Corporation).

Why Is the Pace Slowing?

While there’s no mass exodus of HQ relocations in 2025, it’s clear that the volume of moves has cooled, particularly compared to 2020–2022. This is not necessarily a downturn, but rather a normalization.

Factors Contributing to the Slowdown:

1. Many companies have already moved in the last 3–5 years. The big wave of relocations has already played out.
2. Cautious capital deployment amid high interest rates and uncertain macroeconomic conditions.
3. Hybrid work has changed the HQ playbook, reducing urgency around physical relocation.
4. Saturation in some fast-growth metros, making it harder to find affordable real estate and talent.

States Losing HQs: The Pattern Continues

Despite the slower pace, the directional flow remains unchanged: companies continue to leave high-cost, high-regulation states in favor of business-friendly destinations.

States with Ongoing Challenges:

• California: Still seeing HQ outflows due to taxes, labor laws, and cost of living.
• New York: Attractive for finance/media, but losing firms in tech and logistics.
• Illinois: Challenging tax climate and outmigration.
• Minnesota: Difficult labor laws and high business costs.
• Oregon and Washington: Poor rankings in business tax climate and regulation.

What This Means for Site Strategy in 2026

Even with fewer total projects, headquarters relocations remain among the most strategically important decisions a company can make.

Site Selection Group Recommends:

• Aligning HQ site strategy with talent modeling.
• Modeling the total cost of occupancy.
• Evaluating quality-of-life metrics as part of executive and employee retention.

For States and Cities:

• It’s no longer about quantity, but quality.
• Be proactive with site readiness, labor data, and incentives.

A Smarter Era of HQ Moves

The age of mass headquarters migration may be tapering, but the next wave is more strategic, analytical, and permanent. Companies aren’t just chasing tax savings, they’re designing HQs for growth, hybrid work, and long-term competitiveness.

For those who get it right, both companies and communities, headquarters relocations will continue to reshape the business landscape in 2026 and beyond.