Moves to Florida, Texas dropped in 2024 — where are people going instead?

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A new report from Redfin shows that the flow of new residents into Florida and Texas, as well as other parts of the Sun Belt, dropped significantly last year. 

Which cities are seeing fewer new residents? 

By the numbers:

The technology-powered real estate brokerage firm said Tampa had a net inflow of just over 10,000 residents in 2024, less than one-third the 35,000-person net inflow in 2023. It marks the biggest slowdown in domestic migration from the 50 most-populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. 

Other states that saw a slowdown were Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Austin.

For Atlanta, the city had a net outflow of nearly 2,000 in 2024, meaning 2,000 more U.S. residents moved out of the metro than in. That’s compared to a net inflow of 17,000 the year before.

Florida, Miami Beach, Biscayne Bay, Star Island, Port of Miami. (Photo by: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Fewer people are leaving big cities

Additionally, fewer people are leaving big cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Redfin said New York saw its net outflow shrink more than any other metro. Nearly 120,000 more residents moved out of New York City than into it in 2024, but that’s compared to a net outflow of about 153,000 residents in 2023. 

Los Angeles is next, with a net outflow of 100,000 in 2024—but that’s compared to a net outflow of 121,000 in 2023. In Washington, D.C., 16,000 more residents left than moved in, down from a net outflow of 36,000 the year before. 

Other cities that are seeing fewer residents leaving include Chicago, Anaheim, Calif, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Seattle, Nassau County, New York (Long Island) and Boston.

Why is migration slowing?

Dig deeper:

Redfin cites several factors why several destination cities are seeing fewer moving trucks:

• Rising cost of living: Tampa, Dallas and Austin are examples of how cities were once affordable compared to other cities but are now seeing rising housing costs.
• Natural disasters: Florida has become less attractive due to the intensity and frequency of climate disasters such as hurricanes, causing insurance to skyrocket.
• In-office work: Several companies are now stopping fully-remote work and requiring employees to come back to the office, giving them less freedom to move other cities.
• Competition from more affordable places: Some people are considering moving to more affordable places such as the Midwest and the Northeast.

What they're saying:

"People used to move to Florida partly because they could get a deal. Now, people can’t afford to move here," Bryan Carnaggio, a Redfin Premier agent in Florida, said in a news release. "The first questions from out-of-staters are, ‘How bad are the hurricanes? How high are insurance rates?’"

Where are people moving to?

Redfin said people are choosing not to move to the Sun Belt and instead moving to places like Minneapolis and Indianapolis, where median home-sale and rent prices are lower than they are in places like Miami or Austin.