Americans are leaving high-cost coastal cities in significant numbers

Moving to Texas Shutterstock_1913316217

Renter Migration Drives Growth in Southeast and Texas Markets

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Even as the pandemic-driven migration surge eases, Americans are still leaving high-cost coastal cities in significant numbers, reshaping the U.S. rental market. In 2025, California recorded a net domestic outflow of 229,000 residents, while South Carolina, Texas and North Carolina posted the fastest population gains, driven largely by renters seeking lower costs and more space.

The era of long-distance moves fueled by remote work appears to be cooling. According to Apartment List’s annual Renter Migration Report, 39% of renters still consider relocating to a new metropolitan area, but only 24% are looking to cross state lines. Inflation, rising moving costs and changing workplace expectations are beginning to temper the allure of far-flung cities, placing affordability and competitive wages at the forefront of migration decisions.

States experiencing the strongest inbound migration include South Carolina (+1.2% net domestic population growth, 66,000 residents), North Carolina (+0.8%, 84,000) and Texas. Meanwhile, traditionally expensive hubs such as California, New York and Massachusetts continue to see outflows. California’s population remained roughly flat year-over-year, but only because net negative domestic migration was offset by international immigration (+109,000) and natural growth (+110,000).

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For renters departing California, Texas was the most popular destination, followed by Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Colorado. Florida, once a top draw, has seen a modest decline in interest from West Coast renters — from 5.3% of California outbound searches in 2023 to 3.8% in 2025 — though it remains the top destination for New Yorkers leaving the Northeast.

North Carolina draws the most interest from nearby southeastern states such as Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina, while the Lone Star State attracts movers from California, Florida and New York.

Metro-level trends reinforce these state-level patterns. Fast-growing cities such as Savannah, Durham and Charleston see more than 60% of rental searches coming from out-of-market renters, often from nearby hubs like Raleigh, Charlotte and Atlanta.

In the Mountain West, Ogden draws significant interest from Salt Lake City renters, Reno gets attraction from Sacramento and San Francisco and Colorado Springs brings in Denver residents. These metros are seeing both high inbound interest and rapid price growth, with rents in some areas rising faster than national averages due to limited supply relative to demand, according to Apartment List.

Source: GlobeSt.

 

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