A surge in out-of-town rental searches points to Buffalo, Chicago and Houston as markets to watch
Zillow (Z) released new rental search data showing where out-of-town interest is rising fastest and which metros attract the most nonlocal renters.
Rhea-AI Summary
Zillow (Z) released new rental search data showing where out-of-town interest is rising fastest and which metros attract the most nonlocal renters.
Out-of-town rental search shares grew the most year over year in Buffalo (+4.2 percentage points), Chicago (+3.7), Houston (+3.4), New Orleans (+3.2) and Dallas (+3), signaling potential future relocation demand. Local search share grew most in Cincinnati (+8.1), followed by Jacksonville (+4.6) and Columbus (+3.2), suggesting stronger homegrown interest in those markets.
Raleigh leads for out-of-town focus, with 59% of rental page views from outside the metro, followed by Hartford (55.1%), New Orleans (53.7%), Salt Lake City (51.9%), Nashville (51.7%) and Providence (51.5%). New York, Los Angeles and Chicago remain the most locally driven markets by share of rental views from residents.
Top cross-metro flows include Washington, D.C. renters viewing Baltimore (23.9% of Baltimore rental views), Los Angeles renters viewing Riverside (21.3%), San Francisco renters viewing San Jose (17.6%) and Boston renters viewing Providence (16.1%). Long-distance flows are led by New York renters viewing Hartford (6% of Hartford rental views), with sizable New York interest also in Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Raleigh.
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Zillow data reveals which rental markets are drawing the most outside interest and where demand may be heading next
- Outside interest is growing fastest in
Buffalo ,Chicago andHouston , where out-of-town rental search shares grew the most year over year. - In established hotspots —
Raleigh (59% ),Hartford (55% ),New Orleans (54% ) andNashville (52% ) — outside rental searchers outnumber local rental searchers on Zillow. - The largest shares of long-distance rental searches typically come from neighboring states. The notable exception is New Yorkers looking south, especially in
Florida .
"Renting is often how people try out a new community before committing. When we see a market with a growing share of rental searches coming from outside the metro, that tips us off to a developing pipeline," said Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow. "A year-over-year surge in out-of-town browsing in places like
Outside vs. local: Where rental interest is shifting year over year
Meanwhile,
The markets drawing the most out-of-town rental searches
The markets drawing the most out-of-town rental interest are concentrated in the Sun Belt and Mid-Atlantic. These markets have absorbed years of relocation demand from higher-cost coastal metros.
At the other end of the spectrum,
As the three biggest markets in the
Top cross-metro shopping flows
Most cross-market rental searches happen between neighboring metros.
When looking only at long-distance searches — between markets in different states and at least 100 miles apart — the most common flow is renters in the
Among the 20 most common long-distance searches, most occur within neighboring states. The notable exception is New Yorkers looking south. Rental shoppers in the
The bigger picture
For renters considering a move, this data offers a map of where others are already looking, signaling which metros may be more competitive and which may still be under the radar. On Zillow Rentals®, renters can explore listings from across the country with 3D virtual tours that let them walk through properties from anywhere, and a reusable renter application that covers credit and background checks across multiple properties, so searching somewhere new doesn't mean starting over each time.
For property managers, the analysis reveals how far their potential tenant pool can extend beyond the local metro. Reaching that audience on Zillow Rentals® could mean the difference in filling a vacancy.
Metro Area | Share of Rental Page | Year over Year Change: | Out-of-Town Market | Share of Rental Page |
59.0 % | -0.8 | 5.4 % | ||
55.1 % | -1.9 | 6.0 % | ||
53.7 % | +3.2 | 1.9 % | ||
51.9 % | +0.3 | 2.1 % | ||
51.7 % | +0.5 | 1.7 % | ||
51.5 % | -0.7 | 16.1 % | ||
50.0 % | -1.8 | 4.0 % | ||
50.0 % | -0.9 | 14.1 % | ||
49.5 % | +1.9 | 5.3 % | ||
49.2 % | -1.2 | 2.4 % | ||
48.4 % | -0.4 | 23.9 % | ||
48.2 % | -4.6 | 3.6 % | ||
47.8 % | +0.9 | 5.2 % | ||
47.5 % | +0.5 | 5.7 % | ||
47.2 % | -2.4 | 17.6 % | ||
46.4 % | +2.7 | 5.9 % | ||
46.1 % | -2.1 | 5.1 % | ||
45.0 % | 0.0 | 11.7 % | ||
44.8 % | +0.6 | 5.3 % | ||
44.2 % | +0.5 | 21.3 % | ||
43.9 % | +1.7 | 3.5 % | ||
43.9 % | 0.0 | 7.9 % | ||
42.6 % | -0.7 | 4.3 % | ||
42.4 % | +1.2 | 5.6 % | ||
42.4 % | -1.0 | 4.1 % | ||
42.4 % | -2.4 | 7.8 % | ||
42.3 % | -0.5 | 3.2 % | ||
42.2 % | -0.6 | 4.3 % | ||
42.0 % | +2.0 | 2.6 % | ||
40.8 % | -3.2 | 4.5 % | ||
40.0 % | -0.9 | 8.8 % | ||
39.9 % | +4.2 | 5.0 % | ||
39.9 % | -8.1 | 5.4 % | ||
39.6 % | -0.1 | 7.7 % | ||
39.3 % | -1.0 | 1.0 % | ||
39.1 % | +0.6 | 7.3 % | ||
38.1 % | +0.7 | 2.3 % | ||
37.9 % | +1.8 | 5.4 % | ||
37.0 % | +2.2 | 4.8 % | ||
36.8 % | -1.5 | 1.4 % | ||
36.7 % | -1.7 | 1.8 % | ||
35.8 % | +2.9 | 2.0 % | ||
35.2 % | +3.4 | 3.0 % | ||
35.1 % | -0.5 | 1.5 % | ||
34.3 % | -0.4 | 1.7 % | ||
33.7 % | +3.0 | 1.6 % | ||
32.8 % | +1.8 | 2.4 % | ||
30.9 % | +3.7 | 1.4 % | ||
27.1 % | +0.8 | 5.2 % | ||
23.7 % | -0.5 | 1.6 % |
About Zillow Group
Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people.
As the most visited real estate app and website in the United States, Zillow connects hundreds of millions of consumers with innovative technology, trusted agents and loan officers, and seamless digital solutions. With industry-leading tools and resources, Zillow supercharges real estate professionals so they can grow their businesses and deliver exceptional client experiences. For renters and housing providers, Zillow offers not only a robust marketplace but a set of end-to-end products and services to streamline applications, leases, payments and more.
Zillow's ecosystem spans the entire home journey — from dreaming and shopping to renting, buying, selling and financing.
Zillow Group's affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®, Zillow Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans®, Zillow Rentals®, Zillow® New Construction, Trulia®, StreetEasy®, Out East®, HotPads®, Follow Up Boss®, ShowingTime®, dotloop® and Zillow® Closing.
All marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). © 2026 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.
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