Nearly 20 Percent of House Hunters Consider Relocating Across Regions: Report

Frustrated by rising home prices in the Northeast and coastal areas, 19.1 percent of home seekers across the nation considered relocation in the first quarter of 2026, according to a June 29 Redfin report. Florida, Las Vegas, and Phoenix ranked among the most popular destinations.The share was slightly up from 18.9 percent in the same period in 2025, and marked the highest share on record since 2021. Analyzing more than 100 metro areas, Redfin identified those interested in relocating from home searches outside their current region. Users must have viewed at least 20 for-sale or for-rent homes in a destination during a one-month period to be considered as those seeking to relocate there.“A record portion of Americans are looking to relocate partly because of affordability pressures,” the report states. “Housing costs are near record highs because mortgage rates and sale prices remain stubbornly high, and inflation is pushing up the cost of living for other everyday expenses.”As of June, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported the median home price at $430,000. A May NAR report found that home prices increased in 71 percent of major metro areas throughout the nation. It also listed the median home price in the West at $607,600 and $506,500 in the Northeast.As a result, Redfin noted, people are searching for homes or apartments in more affordable areas such as Orlando, where the median sales price is just over $400,000—about half the price of a home in New York. Orlando ranked first in net inflow of potential residents, with 6,914.Florida’s North Port, Miami, Cape Coral, and Tampa also each registered net inflows of more than 6,000 people. Redfin measured net inflow as the number of its users looking to move to an area, minus those looking to leave.“Half of the most popular destinations are in Florida, and all are relatively affordable, especially compared to the places people are most commonly leaving,” the report notes. Additionally, all of the most popular Sun Belt destinations offer warm, sunny weather.While the Sunshine State has always been a beacon for retirees, Redfin data have shown an uptick in the number of people moving there for job opportunities. The “Space Coast,” the organization notes, is home to expanding firms such as SpaceX and Blue Origin that have been attracting tech workers from the West Coast.Among states, Florida topped the list of out-of-state house hunters with a net inflow of 46,664, followed by Arizona at 17,599 and South Carolina at 13,853. Tennessee, Nevada, and Texas all experienced net inflows of more than 10,000.The Redfin report indicates that the continued popularity of remote work is making relocation easier. According to a March report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22.6 percent of U.S. employees worked from home at that time. The share ranged from 21.5 percent to 23 percent over the prior year.Of those metros experiencing the largest intended exodus, New York City ranked first, with a net outflow of 28,351 during the first quarter. Redfin measured net outflow as the number of its users seeking to leave an area minus those who want to move there.Seattle followed with a net house hunter outflow of 26,349 people, and Los Angeles with a potential loss of 23,971. San Francisco, Washington, Boston, and Minneapolis also saw thousands more seeking to leave than enter.Analyzing state data, Redfin found that California is losing more people than any other state, with a net intended outflow of 54,767. New York ranked second with a net outflow of 29,895. Illinois, Washington, and Massachusetts completed the top five list of states potentially losing residents.The report says that while the share of home seekers willing to relocate has reached a record high, the actual number of people relocating may not be rising at the same pace.“Overall homebuying activity is sluggish, so the total number of migrants is likely lower than it was back in 2021 or 2022, when a smaller share of a larger pool of buyers was looking to relocate,” the report states.