It’s another example of life imitating art, for those either old enough to remember the “Green Acres” TV show theme, or maybe catch endless reruns on cable. Leave the big city for less hectic (and warmer) environs. Well, according to a new report from Redfin, it’s now happening big-time for real.
Roughly one in five (19.1%) U.S. house hunters looked to move from one part of the country to another in Q1 2026, rather than somewhere in their current city. That’s up slightly from 18.9% a year earlier and the highest share in records dating back to 2021.
A record portion of Americans are looking to relocate partly because of affordability pressures. Housing costs are near record highs because mortgage rates and sale prices remain stubbornly elevated, and inflation is pushing up the cost of living for other everyday expenses. That’s motivating people to move from expensive areas to more affordable areas.
Orlando, Florida, for instance, is the most popular destination for relocating house hunters. The typical Orlando home costs just over $400,000, roughly half the cost of the typical home in New York, the most common origin for people moving there.
Additionally, remote work remains much more common than it was before the pandemic, allowing more Americans to relocate for affordability or lifestyle reasons without changing jobs.
U.S. house hunters are leaving New York, Seattle and Los Angeles more than any other major metro. Next come three other major job centers: The Bay Area, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. Expensive coastal cities and employment hubs usually top the list of places people leave as they chase affordability in other parts of the country.
Orlando, Florida, was the most popular destination for relocating house hunters in the first quarter. It’s followed by three other Florida metros: North Port, Miami and Cape Coral. Tampa came in sixth, after Las Vegas.
Half of the most popular destinations are in Florida, and all are relatively affordable, especially compared to the places people are most commonly leaving. All of the most popular destinations are in the Sun Belt, and all have warm, sunny weather.
So what might be specific reasons folks pack suitcases to leave a city and ones for landing where they do? Here are some.
There must be something to the top four destinations all being in Florida.
“Florida drew record numbers of new residents in 2025—from growing families to global corporations,” noted a blog post from MIDFLORIDA Credit Union. “The state’s low taxes, job growth, warm climate and expanding economy make it one of the top destinations for relocation in the U.S. From retirees and remote workers to executives and entrepreneurs, people are finding compelling reasons to relocate to the Sunshine State.”
Meanwhile, young families especially are leaving big cities, according to a story at TheConversation.com, a nonprofit, independent news organization.
“Why are these families leaving large cities? There are many reasons, including high costs of living and housing, quality of education and school systems, crime and safety concerns and environmental and health factors,” it explained. “Together, these drivers make many cities less attractive environments for families. Many families are choosing suburban or rural locales where they perceive a better quality of life for raising children.”
