A Record 31% of Redfin.com Users Look to Relocate as Homebuyer Interest in Affordable Areas Intensifies

Rhea-AI Summary

In early 2021, 31.2% of Redfin.com users sought to move to different metros, a rise from 26.1% in 2020. This trend reflects ongoing changes due to remote work, allowing buyers to prioritize affordability and family proximity. Phoenix, Austin, and Las Vegas saw the largest net inflows of users, while New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles experienced significant net outflows. The typical homes in the latter cities are priced significantly higher than in popular migration destinations, underlining the trend toward more affordable living.

Positive

• Increased migration interest among users, from 26.1% to 31.2% year-over-year.
• Phoenix, Austin, and Las Vegas are among the top metros for user net inflows, indicating strong demand.

Negative

• Significant net outflows from expensive metros like New York and San Francisco, suggesting potential economic shifts.

SEATTLE, March 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: RDFN) — Nationwide, 31.2% of Redfin.com users looked to move to a different metro in January and February, up from 26.1% during the same time period last year, according to a new report from Redfin (www.redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage. This is the highest share since Redfin started tracking migration in 2017.

The share of Redfin.com users searching for homes outside their metro has steadily increased since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with remote work allowing homebuyers to prioritize affordability and living near family and friends. For many buyers, that means they now have the freedom to relocate to a different part of the country.

"Migration is on the upswing even as vaccines roll out, signaling that the rise in moving from one part of the country to another is likely to outlast the pandemic," said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather. "Although some coronavirus-driven moves will be temporary as people return to the office or go back to living alone after staying with their families, for many Americans one long-lasting effect of the pandemic and remote work is the freedom to live where they want to live."

The latest migration analysis is based on a sample of more than 2 million Redfin.com users who searched for homes across 87 metro areas in January and February, excluding searches unlikely to precede an actual relocation or home purchase.

The uptick in migration is driven by homebuyers moving to Phoenix, Austin and Las Vegas

Phoenix, Austin, Las Vegas, Dallas and Miami had the biggest net inflows of Redfin.com users of any major metro in the U.S. in January and February, meaning they were the most popular destinations for people looking to move to a different area. A net inflow is a measure of how many more Redfin.com home searchers looked to move into a metro than leave, out of a sample of 2 million users.

Affordable inland destinations and parts of Florida are typically the most popular destinations for migrants, a trend that has accelerated during the pandemic. The net inflow of Redfin.com users searching for a home from out of town has increased significantly from last year in all of the top 10 destinations.

"More and more people are moving into Phoenix; the trend is only becoming more intense," said local Redfin agent Thomas Wiederstein. "More than half of my buyers are coming from out of state, mostly from California. And with the recent winter storms in places like Dallas, several of my newer clients are out-of-state buyers who have shifted their home search from Texas to Arizona. Buyers from other states tend to make stronger offers because they have more cash on hand, and that makes it extremely difficult for locals to compete."

Los Angeles is the top origin for people moving to Phoenix, Las Vegas and Dallas, while San Francisco is the top origin for those relocating to Austin. The typical home in Los Angeles sold for $745,000 in February, and the typical home in San Francisco sold for $1.4 million. Meanwhile, the typical home in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Dallas sells for less than $350,000.

Top 10 Metros by Net Inflow of Users and Their Top Origins
Rank	Metro*	Net Inflow, January and February 2021	Net Inflow, January and February 2020	Portion of Searches from Users Outside the Metro, January and February 2021	Portion of Searches from Users Outside the Metro, January and February 2020	Top Origin	Top Out-of- State Origin
1	Phoenix, AZ	10,471	7,319	38.9%	35.7%	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles, CA
2	Austin, TX	9,564	3,941	43.6%	32.6%	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
3	Las Vegas, NV	9,056	5,706	53.1%	47.9%	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles, CA
4	Dallas, TX	7,801	3,545	33.3%	26.3%	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles, CA
5	Miami, FL	7,487	2,399	32.0%	26.6%	New York, NY	New York, NY
6	Atlanta, GA	7,415	5,113	26.8%	26.8%	New York, NY	New York, NY
7	Sacramento, CA	7,414	4,861	48.3%	44.4%	San Francisco, CA	Reno, NV
8	Tampa, FL	6,018	3,186	60.3%	56.0%	Orlando, FL	New York, NY
9	Cape Coral, FL	5,575	2,078	77.0%	74.4%	Chicago, IL	Chicago, IL
10	Orlando, FL	4,824	1,982	58.5%	52.1%	New York, NY	New York, NY
*Combined statistical areas with at least 500 users in January and February 2021 †Negative values indicate a net outflow; among the one million users sampled for this analysis only

Homebuyers are leaving New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles for areas that are relatively close--but more affordable

New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Seattle top the list of places Redfin.com users are looking to leave, with the biggest net outflows of Redfin.com users in January and February. A net outflow is a measure of how many more Redfin.com home searchers looked to leave a metro than move in, out of a sample of 2 million users.

Expensive coastal cities typically have the highest net outflows, with more and more homebuyers looking to leave those places since the pandemic began a year ago. The net outflow of Redfin.com users from New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles has increased significantly from a year ago, and it has more than doubled in Washington, D.C. and Seattle.

For Redfin.com users who leave New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the most popular destinations are nearby metro areas with comparatively affordable housing. Philadelphia, where the typical home sold for $238,000 in February, is the most popular destination for people leaving the New York metro, where the typical home in the metro sold for $590,000. People leaving San Francisco are most likely to search for homes in Sacramento, where the typical home sold for $490,000 in February, and people leaving Los Angeles are most likely to go to San Diego, where the typical home sold for $685,000.

Top 10 Metros by Net Outflow of Users and Their Top Destinations
Rank	Metro*	Net Outflow, January and February 2021	Net Outflow, January and February 2020	Portion of Local Users Searching Elsewhere, January and February 2021	Portion of Local Users Searching Elsewhere, January and February 2020	Top Destination	Top Out-of- State Destination
1	New York, NY	37,894	26,714	34.7%	36.3%	Philadelphia, PA	Philadelphia, PA
2	San Francisco, CA	35,440	23,868	24.1%	21.7%	Sacramento, CA	Austin, TX
3	Los Angeles, CA	23,473	13,913	18.5%	16.4%	San Diego, CA	Las Vegas, NV
4	Washington, DC	14,190	6,446	14.7%	11.6%	Salisbury, MD	Salisbury, MD
5	Seattle, WA	8,445	3,357	16.4%	13.1%	Phoenix, AZ	Phoenix, AZ
6	Chicago, IL	7,775	3,797	13.7%	10.4%	Cape Coral, FL	Cape Coral, FL
7	Denver, CO	6,242	2,979	29.9%	23.6%	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
8	Boston, MA	3,751	178	14.9%	11.5%	Portland, ME	Portland, ME
9	Milwaukee, WI	2,296	1,031	42.6%	38.6%	Chicago, IL	Chicago, IL
10	Indianapolis, IN	1,891	535	42.3%	33.1%	Chicago, IL	Chicago, IL
*Combined statistical areas with at least 500 users in January and February 2021 †Among the one million users sampled for this analysis only

To read the full report, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/february-2021-housing-migration-trends.

About Redfin
Redfin (www.redfin.com) is a technology-powered real estate broker, instant home-buyer (iBuyer), lender, title insurer, and renovations company. We sell homes for more money and charge half the fee. We also run the country's #1 real-estate brokerage site. Our home-buying customers see homes first with on-demand tours, and our lending and title services help them close quickly. Customers selling a home can take an instant cash offer from Redfin or have our renovations crew fix up their home to sell for top dollar. Since launching in 2006, we've saved customers nearly $1 billion in commissions. We serve more than 95 markets across the U.S. and Canada and employ over 4,100 people.

For more information or to contact a local Redfin real estate agent, visit www.redfin.com. To learn about housing market trends and download data, visit the Redfin Data Center. To be added to Redfin's press release distribution list, email press@redfin.com. To view Redfin's press center, click here.

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SOURCE Redfin

FAQ

What percentage of Redfin.com users looked to move to a different metro in early 2021?

31.2% of Redfin.com users sought to move to different metros in January and February 2021.

Which cities had the highest net inflows of Redfin.com users in early 2021?

Phoenix, Austin, and Las Vegas had the largest net inflows of users in January and February 2021.

What trend is driving the increase in migration among Redfin.com users?

The rise in remote work and a desire for affordability and proximity to family are driving increased migration.

Which cities are experiencing the largest net outflows of Redfin.com users?

New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are experiencing significant net outflows.

How does the typical home price in Los Angeles compare to Phoenix?

The typical home in Los Angeles sold for $745,000, while homes in Phoenix typically sold for less than $350,000.