Millions of Americans want to move but can't. That's the central finding of Storable's 2026 Moving Forecast, a nationally representative survey of 1,000 U.S. adults that quantifies the real-life impact of the nation's frozen housing market.

The findings come as national housing data shows pending home sales hovering near multi-month lows in early 2026, with mortgage rate lock-in continuing to suppress mobility across the country. The survey shows that for many homeowners, the financial penalty of giving up a pandemic-era rate has become too high a price to pay, leaving many in a holding pattern as they watch the market.

"For years, mortgage lock-in has been framed as a financial issue," said Chuck Gordon, CEO of Storable. "But the data makes clear it's really about people — the decisions they feel comfortable making, and how they think about what comes next."

Mortgage Rate Lock-In Is Keeping Homeowners in Place

Among homeowners with mortgages, 73% say they would consider moving if they could transfer their current rate, and 31% would move immediately. The attachment to low rates runs so deep that one in four homeowners with rates below 5% say no amount of money would convince them to give theirs up. Another 24% said it would take $200,000 or more.

The survey also asked respondents at what rate they would seriously consider buying or moving, and the answer shows just how far rates would need to fall. Thirty-eight percent need rates below 4.5% before they'd make a move, and another 17% need them somewhere between 4.5% and 5%. With 30-year mortgage rates currently sitting in the low-to-mid 6% range, more than half of would-be movers are waiting for a drop that may not come anytime soon.

Careers, Relationships, and Kids — All on Pause

The effects of the housing freeze are showing up in everyday life. A third of Americans (33%) have stayed in a relationship or living situation longer than they wanted because they couldn't afford to move out. More than half (56%) have either already turned down a job requiring relocation or say they would, putting career decisions increasingly at the mercy of mortgage rates.

The personal toll runs deeper still. When asked what sacrifices they would accept to keep their current mortgage rate, 22% of homeowners said they would delay retirement by five or more years, 8% would stay in a relationship they want to leave, and 6% would skip or delay medical care.

Renters Are Losing Hope of Ever Owning a Home

The housing freeze isn't only affecting homeowners. Among renters, 25% say they will probably never be able to afford to buy a home, and 21% have stopped aspiring to own altogether. That's nearly half of all renters who have either given up or don't believe homeownership is within reach. As homeownership becomes increasingly concentrated among those who already own, the wealth gap tied to real estate equity risks becoming permanent.

Perhaps nothing captures the psychological state of today's housing market better than this: 67% of Americans regularly or occasionally browse homes online that are out of their price range. 16% do it so often they describe it as something they can't help. Meanwhile, 11% have stopped looking at listings entirely — not because they've lost interest, but because it's too frustrating to see what they can't have.

The Housing Freeze Is Driving Storage Demand

When people can't move to bigger homes, they adapt. Sixteen percent of Americans have already rented self-storage because they can't move to a home that fits their needs, and another 25% are considering it, meaning more than four in ten Americans have turned to or are thinking about self-storage as a direct result of the housing freeze.

"For the storage industry, demand isn't just about moves anymore," Gordon added. "It's also increasingly coming from people staying put and trying to make homes that no longer fit actually work. And when the market eventually thaws, the pent-up demand we're seeing in this data will be unleashed."

The full report, including findings on the generational divide, renter outlook, and what mortgage rate would unlock the market, is available at https://www.storable.com/resources/storables-2026-moving-forecast/.