Big City Exodus: Realtor.com® Report Finds Majority of Shoppers Looking to Relocate for Budget and Lifestyle
Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA) released a comprehensive report showing that 58.9% of home shoppers in the top 100 U.S. metros searched for properties outside their current metro area in Q2 2025, marking an 11 percentage point increase from 2019.
The report highlights significant trends, with San Jose leading outbound searches at 93.7%, followed by Washington D.C. (86.4%) and Seattle (80.5%). Former pandemic boomtowns like Phoenix and Spokane are experiencing declining popularity, while cities like Portland, San Francisco, and Houston have gained resident loyalty. The Western U.S. showed the highest out-of-market search activity at 65.1%, while the Northeast experienced the largest six-year increase, jumping from 45.4% to 58.8%.
Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA) ha pubblicato un rapporto dettagliato che mostra come il 58,9% degli acquirenti di case nelle 100 principali aree metropolitane degli Stati Uniti abbia cercato immobili al di fuori della propria area metropolitana nel secondo trimestre del 2025, segnando un aumento di 11 punti percentuali rispetto al 2019.
Il rapporto evidenzia tendenze significative, con San Jose in testa alle ricerche fuori area con il 93,7%, seguita da Washington D.C. (86,4%) e Seattle (80,5%). Le ex città in forte crescita durante la pandemia, come Phoenix e Spokane, stanno perdendo popolarità, mentre città come Portland, San Francisco e Houston hanno visto rafforzarsi la fedeltà dei residenti. La regione occidentale degli Stati Uniti ha registrato la maggiore attività di ricerca fuori mercato con il 65,1%, mentre il Nord-Est ha mostrato il maggior incremento in sei anni, passando dal 45,4% al 58,8%.
Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA) publicó un informe detallado que muestra que el 58.9% de los compradores de viviendas en las 100 principales áreas metropolitanas de EE.UU. buscaron propiedades fuera de su área metropolitana actual en el segundo trimestre de 2025, lo que representa un aumento de 11 puntos porcentuales desde 2019.
El informe destaca tendencias importantes, con San José liderando las búsquedas fuera de la ciudad con un 93.7%, seguida por Washington D.C. (86.4%) y Seattle (80.5%). Ciudades que tuvieron un auge durante la pandemia, como Phoenix y Spokane, están perdiendo popularidad, mientras que ciudades como Portland, San Francisco y Houston han aumentado la lealtad de sus residentes. El oeste de EE.UU. mostró la mayor actividad de búsqueda fuera del mercado con un 65.1%, mientras que el noreste experimentó el mayor aumento en seis años, pasando del 45.4% al 58.8%.
Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA)는 2025년 2분기 미국 상위 100개 대도시 지역에서 주택 구매자의 58.9%가 현재 거주하는 대도시 지역 외부에서 부동산을 검색했으며, 이는 2019년 대비 11%포인트 증가한 수치라는 종합 보고서를 발표했습니다.
보고서는 샌호세가 93.7%로 외부 검색을 선도하고 있으며, 워싱턴 D.C.(86.4%)와 시애틀(80.5%)이 그 뒤를 잇는 등 중요한 추세를 강조합니다. 팬데믹 기간 급성장했던 피닉스와 스포캔은 인기가 감소하는 반면, 포틀랜드, 샌프란시스코, 휴스턴 등 도시는 거주자 충성도가 높아졌습니다. 미국 서부 지역은 65.1%로 가장 높은 외부 시장 검색 활동을 보였고, 북동부는 6년간 가장 큰 증가를 기록하며 45.4%에서 58.8%로 상승했습니다.
Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA) a publié un rapport complet montrant que 58,9% des acheteurs de maisons dans les 100 principales zones métropolitaines des États-Unis ont recherché des propriétés en dehors de leur zone métropolitaine actuelle au deuxième trimestre 2025, marquant une augmentation de 11 points de pourcentage depuis 2019.
Le rapport met en lumière des tendances importantes, avec San Jose en tête des recherches hors zone avec 93,7%, suivie de Washington D.C. (86,4%) et Seattle (80,5%). Les anciennes villes en plein essor pendant la pandémie comme Phoenix et Spokane voient leur popularité diminuer, tandis que des villes comme Portland, San Francisco et Houston gagnent en fidélité résidentielle. L'Ouest des États-Unis a affiché la plus forte activité de recherche hors marché avec 65,1%, tandis que le Nord-Est a connu la plus grande augmentation sur six ans, passant de 45,4% à 58,8%.
Realtor.com (NASDAQ:NWSA) veröffentlichte einen umfassenden Bericht, der zeigt, dass 58,9% der Haussuchenden in den 100 größten US-Metropolregionen im zweiten Quartal 2025 außerhalb ihrer aktuellen Metropolregion nach Immobilien suchten, was einen Anstieg um 11 Prozentpunkte seit 2019 darstellt.
Der Bericht hebt bedeutende Trends hervor, wobei San Jose mit 93,7% die meisten Auswärtssuchen anführt, gefolgt von Washington D.C. (86,4%) und Seattle (80,5%). Ehemalige Boomstädte der Pandemie wie Phoenix und Spokane verlieren an Beliebtheit, während Städte wie Portland, San Francisco und Houston die Loyalität der Bewohner zurückgewinnen. Der Westen der USA zeigte mit 65,1% die höchste Suchaktivität außerhalb des eigenen Marktes, während der Nordosten den größten Anstieg in sechs Jahren verzeichnete, von 45,4% auf 58,8%.
- Increased market flexibility with 58.9% of shoppers willing to relocate, indicating a more dynamic housing market
- Some markets like Portland (-9.8%) and San Francisco (-5.9%) showed improved resident retention over six years
- Several metros maintained affordability advantages, with Houston showing only 16.5% price growth over six years
- Significant price increases in major metros, with Boston seeing 42.5% and Spokane 47.9% price growth since 2019
- Rising unemployment in key markets, with Fresno at 7.8% unemployment rate
- Former pandemic boomtowns experiencing exodus due to eroding affordability
- Increased outbound searches in major cities indicating potential market instability
Insights
Realtor.com data reveals accelerating big-city exodus driven by affordability issues, impacting NWSA's digital real estate business opportunities.
The latest Realtor.com report highlights a significant 10.8 percentage point increase in out-of-metro home searches since 2019, with 58.9% of shoppers now looking beyond their current locations. This represents a fundamental shift in American housing preferences that directly impacts News Corp's digital real estate services segment.
The data reveals three key market dynamics: First, residents are fleeing high-cost tech hubs, with San Jose (93.7%), Washington D.C. (86.4%), and Seattle (80.5%) showing the highest outbound search rates. Second, former pandemic boomtowns like Phoenix and Spokane are rapidly losing appeal as affordability advantages erode. Third, a handful of markets including Portland and San Francisco are bucking the trend, showing improved retention of local shoppers.
What's particularly telling is the correlation between outbound search activity, price growth, and unemployment. Nine of the top ten metros losing popularity saw home prices jump over 27% since 2019. For instance, Boston experienced a 42.5% price surge alongside unemployment rising from 2.7% to 4.2%.
This migration pattern creates both challenges and opportunities for Realtor.com. The platform benefits from increased search activity as users explore multiple markets, but faces pressure in high-outflow regions where listing inventory may struggle to meet demand. For News Corp, these trends suggest the need for targeted marketing strategies in emerging destination markets while maintaining strong presence in traditional high-volume metros.
The regional breakdown showing over 50% of search activity directed out-of-market across all U.S. regions signals this isn't merely a coastal phenomenon but a nationwide recalibration of housing preferences driven by remote work flexibility and persistent affordability constraints.
- Out-of-metro searches surged nearly 11 percentage points since 2019, led by
San Jose, Calif. ,Washington D.C. , andSeattle Portland, Oregon ,San Francisco andHouston gained the most popularity among local residents over the past six years, whileMcAllen, Texas ;Phoenix ; andSpokane, Wash. , lost popularity
"Affordability remains a primary driver of home searches, but evolving workplace policies, job opportunities and shifting local conditions also play a role. As regional housing trends diverge, home shoppers tapped the brakes compared to a year ago, but accelerated their searches elsewhere compared to 2019, across the 100 largest metros with sizable variation across markets," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®. "Despite the year over year step back, Americans continue to take a broader view of where they can live, often looking beyond their current metro areas in hopes of stretching their dollar and improving their lifestyle."
Big cities dominated the top ten metros as current residents overwhelmingly searched out of their markets driven by affordability challenges.
Top 10 Metros Which Lost Popularity among Local Residents in the Second Quarter of 2025
Market | Out of Market Share 2025Q2 | Rank 2025Q2 | Rank |
93.7 % | 1 | 1 | |
86.4 % | 2 | 2 | |
80.5 % | 3 | 4 | |
77.0 % | 4 | 7 | |
72.9 % | 5 | 5 | |
72.6 % | 6 | 9 | |
72.6 % | 7 | 11 | |
72.1 % | 8 | 8 | |
72.0 % | 9 | 26 | |
71.7 % | 10 | 12 |
Pandemic-Era Boomtowns Losing Steam As Affordability Wanes
Several cities which saw a surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic are now experiencing rising outbound interest as affordability erodes and return-to-office mandates take hold.
In
High Home Prices and Rising Unemployment Drive Out of Metro Searches
Metros with the biggest increases in outbound search activity often experienced large jumps in home prices and rising unemployment over the past six years. Nine of the top ten metros with the biggest loss in popularity also saw prices jump more than
Top 10 Metros Which Lost Popularity among Local Residents over the Past Six Years
Market | Out of | Six Year | June 2025 | Six Year | Unemployment | Unemployment |
65.0 % | 30.0 % | 38.2 % | 6.0 | 5.4 | ||
70.5 % | 28.5 % | 36.8 % | 3.7 | 4.1 | ||
Spokane-Spokane | 61.5 % | 27.7 % | 47.9 % | 4.0 | 5.1 | |
72.6 % | 25.7 % | 12.2 % | 4.6 | 3.5 | ||
72.0 % | 24.7 % | 42.5 % | 4.2 | 2.7 | ||
59.4 % | 24.3 % | 27.5 % | 3.1 | 3.0 | ||
60.3 % | 21.3 % | 40.3 % | 7.8 | 6.4 | ||
63.2 % | 20.8 % | 27.7 % | 3.1 | 2.3 | ||
71.7 % | 20.7 % | 32.2 % | 4.0 | 3.3 | ||
63.7 % | 19.8 % | 32.9 % | 4.2 | 4.4 |
Relative Affordability is the Trend for Cities Holding on to Their Residents
Even as many metros lose shoppers to other regions, a handful are seeing increased loyalty from local buyers.
Other metros that gained in popularity with their local shoppers include
Top Metros That Gained Popularity among Local Residents over the Past Six Years
Metro | Out of | Six Year | June 2025 | Six Year | Unemployment rate | Unemployment rate |
57.9 % | -9.8 % | 28.4 % | 4.4 | 3.3 | ||
62.9 % | -5.9 % | 4.0 % | 3.9 | 2.3 | ||
54.0 % | -4.0 % | 16.5 % | 4.2 | 3.4 | ||
45.5 % | -3.5 % | 6.9 % | 4.6 | 4.1 | ||
Urban | 67.8 % | -3.2 % | -4.1 % | 2.5 | 2.2 | |
55.5 % | -2.1 % | 33.8 % | 3.1 | 3 | ||
48.5 % | -0.5 % | 26.1 % | 3.8 | 3 |
Affordability Drives Searches Regionally
The
While shoppers in the Midwest were more likely to stay local, with just
Percent of Views to Out-of-Metro Homes by Regions
Region | Share of Out-of-market | YOY Change | Six Year Changes |
Northeast | 58.8 % | -2.1 ppt | 13.4 ppt |
Midwest | 54.0 % | 0.1 ppt | 9.2 ppt |
South | 58.0 % | -0.1 ppt | 11.2 ppt |
West | 65.1 % | -3.9 ppt | 9.6 ppt |
Top 100 Metros | 58.9 % | -1.3 ppt | 10.8 ppt |
Methodology
This report analyzes views of for-sale listings on the Realtor.com marketplace in the Top 100 metros between April and June 2025. More data can be found here.
About Realtor.com®
Realtor.com® pioneered online real estate and has been at the forefront for over 25 years, connecting buyers, sellers, and renters with trusted insights, professional guidance and powerful tools to help them find their perfect home. Recognized as the No. 1 site trusted by real estate professionals, Realtor.com® is a valued partner, delivering consumer connections and a robust suite of marketing tools to support business growth. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc.
Media contact: Mallory Micetich, press@realtor.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/big-city-exodus-realtorcom-report-finds-majority-of-shoppers-looking-to-relocate-for-budget-and-lifestyle-302504790.html
SOURCE Realtor.com
FAQ
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