In the first quarter of 2026, 19.1% of U.S. house hunters were searching for homes outside their current metro area — a record high and up slightly from 18.9% a year earlier, according to recent migration data from Redfin. Florida metros dominate the list of top destinations, led by Orlando, while expensive job centers like New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles are seeing the most residents leave.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 1 in 5 house hunters (19.1%) looked to relocate to a different metro area in Q1 2026, the highest share since Redfin began tracking this data in 2021.
- Florida metros claim four of the top five destination spots: Orlando, North Port, Miami, and Cape Coral. Las Vegas and Phoenix round out the top destinations.
- New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles had the largest net outflows of house hunters, as residents chase lower housing costs elsewhere.
- Affordability, not just lifestyle, is the main driver — Orlando’s typical home price is roughly half that of New York’s.
- The share is up, but the raw number of movers may be down, since overall homebuying activity remains sluggish compared to 2021–2022.
Why More House Hunters Are Looking to Relocate
Housing costs are sitting near record highs, driven by a combination of elevated mortgage rates and stubborn home prices. At the same time, broader inflation is squeezing household budgets on everyday expenses. Together, these pressures are pushing a growing share of house hunters to search for homes in metro areas where their money goes further.
Remote work is also playing a role. Even though many companies have called employees back to the office, remote and hybrid arrangements remain far more common than before the pandemic — giving more people the flexibility to move for affordability or lifestyle reasons without switching jobs.
A third, smaller factor is “boomerang migration”: people leaving metro areas they moved to during the pandemic boom. Charlotte, NC and Austin, TX — both major pandemic-era destinations — have swung from strong net inflows in 2021 to net outflows in Q1 2026.
Important nuance: while the share of house hunters looking to relocate hit a record, the total number of people relocating is likely lower than during the 2021–2022 migration surge, simply because overall home-buying activity has cooled.
Top 10 Metro Areas House Hunters Are Moving Into (Q1 2026)
Ranked by net inflow of Redfin.com home searchers, among the top 100 U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro Area | Net Inflow | Top Origin Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando, FL | 6,914 | New York, NY |
| 2 | North Port, FL | 6,772 | Chicago, IL |
| 3 | Miami, FL | 6,576 | New York, NY |
| 4 | Cape Coral, FL | 6,482 | Chicago, IL |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | 5,639 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 6 | Tampa, FL | 4,819 | New York, NY |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | 4,522 | Seattle, WA |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | 4,442 | San Jose, CA |
| 9 | Tucson, AZ | 4,241 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 10 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 3,813 | Washington, D.C. |
Half of the top 10 destinations are in Florida, and every metro on the list is located in the Sun Belt with warm, sunny weather. Real estate agents in Florida report that beyond retirees drawn by climate and lifestyle, there’s a growing wave of tech and engineering professionals relocating for jobs — particularly along Florida’s “Space Coast,” home to operations from companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
That said, migration into Florida has cooled substantially since the pandemic peak. Miami’s net inflow of 6,576 in Q1 2026 is down sharply from more than 28,000 in 2022, partly due to workers being called back to offices and a growing trend of people leaving flood-prone coastal areas.
Top 10 Metro Areas House Hunters Are Leaving (Q1 2026)
Ranked by net outflow of Redfin.com home searchers.
| Rank | Metro Area | Net Outflow | Top Destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | -28,351 | Miami, FL |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | -26,349 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | -23,971 | San Diego, CA |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | -23,483 | Sacramento, CA |
| 5 | Washington, D.C. | -21,241 | Salisbury, MD |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | -19,579 | Milwaukee, WI |
| 7 | Boston, MA | -8,822 | Miami, FL |
| 8 | Denver, CO | -3,692 | Colorado Springs, CO |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | -1,861 | Phoenix, AZ |
| 10 | Charlotte, NC | -1,686 | Greensboro, NC |
Expensive coastal cities and major employment hubs dominate the “leaving” list, as house hunters chase more affordable housing elsewhere. For example, people searching to leave Seattle most often look toward Phoenix, where the typical home costs about half as much.
Outbound migration from these cities has slowed compared to a few years ago — New York’s net outflow of about 28,000 is down from roughly 46,000 in 2022, and the Bay Area’s outflow of about 23,000 is down from 74,000 in 2022.
Which States Are Gaining and Losing the Most Residents?
Top States House Hunters Are Moving Into
| Rank | State | Net Inflow |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 46,664 |
| 2 | Arizona | 17,599 |
| 3 | South Carolina | 13,853 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 10,187 |
| 5 | Nevada | 10,114 |
| 6 | Texas | 10,072 |
| 7 | Idaho | 8,305 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 6,481 |
| 9 | Hawaii | 4,459 |
| 10 | Maine | 3,927 |
Florida remains the single most popular destination state by a wide margin — its net inflow is larger than the next three states (Arizona, South Carolina, and Tennessee) combined.
Top States House Hunters Are Leaving
| Rank | State | Net Outflow |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | -54,767 |
| 2 | New York | -29,895 |
| 3 | Illinois | -23,640 |
| 4 | Washington | -22,658 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | -11,743 |
| 6 | Virginia | -9,247 |
| 7 | Maryland | -5,217 |
| 8 | Minnesota | -2,849 |
| 9 | Ohio | -2,519 |
| 10 | Washington, D.C. | -2,491 |
California’s net outflow is more than double New York’s, the next state on the list, reinforcing the pattern of high-cost states losing residents to more affordable ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of house hunters are looking to relocate to a different metro? 19.1% of U.S. house hunters searched for homes outside their home metro area in Q1 2026 — the highest share on record since tracking began in 2021.
Where are most people moving to? Orlando, FL leads the list of top destinations, followed by North Port, Miami, and Cape Coral, FL, then Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix, AZ. Florida is the single most popular destination state overall.
Which cities are people leaving the most? New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles have the largest net outflows of house hunters, followed by San Jose, Washington D.C., and Chicago.
Why are people relocating to different metros right now? The main drivers are housing affordability, elevated mortgage rates and home prices, continued flexibility from remote work, and a wave of “boomerang” moves away from pandemic-era hotspots like Austin and Charlotte.
Is the number of people relocating at an all-time high? Not necessarily. While the share of house hunters looking to relocate is at a record high, the total number of relocators is likely lower than in 2021–2022, since overall homebuying activity has slowed.
Methodology
This data comes from Redfin’s analysis of Redfin.com users — both homebuyers and renters — searching for homes outside their home metro area between January 2021 and March 2026. A user is counted as a potential migrant if they viewed at least 20 for-sale or for-rent homes in a destination metro during a one-month period. Metro areas are defined at the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) level. Users searching in multiple metros are proportionally allocated across their destinations. The data may include people searching for vacation homes or investment properties in addition to primary residences.
Summary
Florida leading the way for the most inflow of residents is nothing new as this trend has persisted for several years now. In particular, we continue to see steady growth here in South Florida as well. At Live South Florida Realty, Inc., we have assisted many house hunters relocating to paradise from other states. Are you thinking of moving to South Florida? We can help! Contact Natasha at Live South Florida Realty, Inc. today! Also, be sure to download the free Florida Home Search App for your smartphone or tablet.
