These Are the Cities Home Buyers Are Moving to Most

It’s moving season until Big City prices drop.

Rising mortgage interest rates are no joke. They've doubled this past year, sending monthly mortgage payments up. Now, nearly 1 in 4 Americans are looking to move out. Remote work opportunities have added fuel to the fire, sending workers across the country. 

Folks like me are flooding from expensive to slightly cheaper metros. Fed-up coastal Californians are fleeing to affordable cities within the state. Many home buyers are moving to affordable cities in Florida. There's a few other states on the list too, including Arizona and Texas. 

Where are people moving?

A record number of folks are moving from one city to another. According to Redfin, here are the cities home buyers are moving to the most.

1. Sacramento, California: It's the second Gold Rush. Folks are flocking from San Francisco to the sister city of Sacramento for affordable housing and lovely green scenery. And let's not forget the city's fabulous wedding venues. All right, I'll say it: I do.
2. Miami, Florida: This Florida city attracts New Yorker City residents like honey attracts bears. It looks like sunny is in, and it doesn't get much sunnier than lovely Miami. The city isn't cheap, but the median house price here is $200,000 more affordable than in New York City.
3. Las Vegas, Nevada: True or false: More Los Angeles home buyers are looking to move to Las Vegas than any other city. I'd bet you 10 chips it's true, but I'm holding all the cards as it is.
4. San Diego, California: San Diego has gorgeous weather. Maybe that's why the city is growing to the tune of 6,000 excited homeowners, many of whom hail from Los Angeles.
5. Tampa, Florida: Dissatisfied New Yorkers really, really like Florida. Fun fact: Tampa has some wild amusement parks. Better fact: The median house price is $300,000 cheaper than single-family homes in New York City.
6. Phoenix, Arizona: Folks are hitchhiking from expensive cities like Los Angeles to cheaper ones like Phoenix. New residents should expect lovely landscapes and loads of prickly cacti.
7. Cape Coral, Florida: Home to canals and the burrowing owl, Cape Coral's median sale price for single-family homes is $415,000, a little higher than the national house price.
8. North Port-Sarasota, Florida: New York City golfers and beachgoers are lowering their aviators to check out this sunny Floridian city, where the median house price is only $451,000.
9. Dallas, Texas: It's festive and growing. More than 5,200 folks (many from Los Angeles) are looking to move in rather than out. Plus, you can buy two Dallas homes for the price of one in Los Angeles.
10. Portland, Maine: Seafood, anyone? Pair that with a cold one -- Portland holds the record for most microbreweries per capita. The median home sale price here is $570,000.

Should you move to these cities?

Folks are flooding affordable housing markets, but some spots are better than others. Movers who don't have cars may consider moving to walkable Miami. But folks concerned about rising insurance costs may prefer moving to a city in one of the best states to avoid climate change. If you work for yourself, consider checking out the best cities to be a freelancer.

Take your desires into account and filter accordingly. You don't want to end up in a hot and sunny city if you love cold weather. And plenty of folks are staying right where they are -- no need to follow the flow of the crowd if your current city is working for you.

Before you move out, consider the following:

• Moving is pricey. If you don't have the money saved, consider financing a move.
• Factor the average American's moving cost into your budget.
• Avoid the three critical moving mistakes that can cost you big time.

Take a look around. Home-buying platforms like Redfin and Zillow make it easier than ever to compare cities side by side. There are a lot of resources out there listing the best cities to buy a home in 2023. We've covered some of the most affordable cities in California. And more broadly, we've checked out the best states to buy a home in 2023. Take your time to make a big life decision, and remember -- you have options.