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Folks are heading South—and not just for the winter.
More people moved to the South in 2023—especially Florida and Texas—according to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau. The region is known for offering more affordably priced homes, a lower cost of living, and warmer winters. Meanwhile, New York City and pricey parts of California experienced the largest population losses.
“The rate of which people are coming in [to Florida] has slowed,” says Brad O’Connor, chief economist of the Florida Realtors®, noting that migration to the state peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“But we’re still a hot spot,” he adds, pointing out that people are gravitating toward Florida’s suburbs. “We still have really robust growth coming from the Northeast and the West Coast.”
About 60% of U.S. counties experienced an increase in population in 2023, according to the report. Typically, more populated counties gained even more residents while smaller ones saw decreases.
Florida, in particular, saw strong growth. About 96% of the state’s counties grew, while just three lost residents from 2022 to 2023.
“People are moving for strong job growth, relatively low home prices compared to those in New York and California, relatively low property taxes,” says Gay Cororaton, chief economist of the Miami Association of Realtors®. “And Florida has an allure for retirees.”
While many residents are leaving Miami-Dade County, they’re often staying nearby—in Broward County, she explains.
This also marked the first year since the pandemic that the Midwest gained more residents than the region lost. And while the cold (and pricey) Northeast lost more residents than gained new ones, the loss abated.
Below are the counties with the highest levels of net domestic migration in 2023.
The top 10 counties where people are moving
1. Polk County, FL
A home listed for sale at $300,000 in Winter Haven, Polk County, FL
Realtor.com
Largest city: Lakeland, FL (between Tampa and Orlando)
Median county home list price in February: $350,000
Migration number in 2023: 26,029
2. Montgomery County, TX
Largest city: Conroe, TX (also includes part of Houston)
Median county home list price: $360,020
Migration number in 2023: 25,501
3. Pasco County, FL
Largest city: Zephyrhills, FL (Tampa outskirts)
Median county home list price: $364, 311
Migration number in 2023: 23,750
4. Collin County, TX
A home listed for sale at $665,000 in McKinney, Collin County, TX
Realtor.com
Largest city: McKinney, TX (also includes part of Dallas)
Median county home list price: $547,960
Migration number in 2023: 20,749
5. Denton County, TX
Largest city: Denton, TX (also includes part of Dallas)
Median county home list price: $512,500
Migration number in 2023: 19,262
6. Williamson County, TX
Largest city: Georgetown, TX (outskirts of Austin)
Median county home list price: $496,808
Migration number in 2023: 17,943
7. Pinal County, AZ
A home listed for sale at $439,000 in Apache Junction, Pinal County, AZ
Realtor.com
Largest city: San Tan Valley, AZ (outskirts of Phoenix)
Median county home list price: $406,500
Migration number in 2023: 17,463
8. Fort Bend County, TX
Largest city: Sugar Land, TX (also includes part of Houston)
Median county home list price:
Migration number in 2023: 15,757
9. Marion County, FL
Largest city: Ocala, FL (and The Villages, which spans three counties)
Median county home list price: $424,968
Migration number in 2023: 15,167
10. Horry County, SC
A condo listed for sale at $249,000 in Myrtle Beach, Horry County, SC
Realtor.com
Largest city: Myrtle Beach, SC
Median county home list price: $324,900
Migration number in 2023: 15,061
The top 10 counties where people are leaving in droves
1. Los Angeles County, CA
A home listed for sale at $2,850,000 in Los Angeles, CA
Realtor.com
Largest city: Los Angeles, CA
Median county home list price in February: $1,049,500
Migration number in 2023: -119,037
2. Cook County, IL
Largest city: Chicago, IL
Median county home list price: $335,700
Migration number in 2023: -58,105
3. Kings County, NY
A condo listed for sale at $850,000 in Brooklyn, Kings County, NY
Realtor.com
Largest city: Brooklyn, NY
Median county home list price: $821,250
Migration number in 2023: -55,308
4. Queens County, NY
Largest city: Queens, NY
Median county home list price: $576,944
Migration numbers in 2023: -50,161
5. Miami-Dade County, FL
A condo listed for sale at $520,000 in Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, FL
Realtor.com
Largest city: Miami, FL
Median county home list price: $662,425
Migration number in 2023: -47,597
6. Bronx County, NY
Largest city: Bronx, NY
Median county home list price: $339,000
Migration number in 2023: -41,473
7. Orange County, CA
Largest city: Anaheim, CA
Median county home list price: $1,349,500
Migration number in 2023: -35,597
8. Dallas County, TX
A home for sale listed at $360,000 in Cedar Hill, Dallas County, TX
Realtor.com
Largest city: Dallas, TX
Median county home list price: $395,750
Migration number in 2023: -34,330
9. San Diego County, CA
Largest city: San Diego, CA
Median county home list price: $996,500
Migration number in 2023: -30,745
10. Santa Clara County, CA
A home listed for sale at $1,600,000 in Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, CA
Realtor.com
Largest city: San Jose, CA
Median county home list price: $1,424,944
Migration number in 2023: -29,077
The post The 10 Places Americans Are Moving to—and the 10 Spots They’re Leaving in Droves appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
