These Are The Cities Americans Are Moving To
As migration patterns shift across the U.S., some cities are emerging as magnets for new residents. A combination of affordability, climate, and job opportunities continues to draw people to the South and West.
This visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, highlights where Americans are choosing to move, based on new residency data from 2024 compiled by Point2Homes.
Sun Belt Cities Dominate the Rankings
Las Vegas stands out with the highest share of newcomers from other states at 33%. Mesa, Arizona (30%), and Colorado Springs, Colorado (30%) follow closely, reflecting the continued appeal of the Sun Belt. Affordable housing, favorable tax environments, and strong employment in sectors like logistics and construction make these cities attractive to many Americans.
Rank
City
New residents in 2024
Share from out of state
1
New York, NY
702,239
20%
2
Los Angeles, CA
371,154
13%
3
Houston, TX
355,915
12%
4
Chicago, IL
329,189
21%
5
San Antonio, TX
264,464
13%
6
Phoenix, AZ
227,814
18%
7
Austin, TX
194,566
14%
8
Philadelphia, PA
193,315
22%
9
Dallas, TX
185,894
16%
10
San Diego, CA
176,790
19%
11
Columbus, OH
168,336
16%
12
Jacksonville, FL
156,514
17%
13
Seattle, WA
153,010
27%
14
Fort Worth, TX
141,316
15%
15
Charlotte, NC
133,366
26%
16
Nashville, TN
124,427
26%
17
Denver, CO
120,430
22%
18
San Francisco, CA
116,055
16%
19
Indianapolis, IN
110,523
15%
20
Boston, MA
110,165
28%
21
Oklahoma City, OK
105,814
21%
22
Atlanta, GA
103,432
23%
23
Tucson, AZ
101,549
19%
24
Portland, OR
92,250
26%
25
San Jose, CA
90,440
11%
26
Raleigh, NC
85,838
15%
27
Colorado Springs, CO
84,594
30%
28
Detroit, MI
81,239
7%
29
Milwaukee, WI
81,169
14%
30
Las Vegas, NV
80,024
33%
31
Minneapolis, MN
79,346
16%
32
Louisville, KY
78,571
14%
33
Albuquerque, NM
76,481
19%
34
Memphis, TN
76,188
18%
35
Omaha, NE
74,190
24%
36
Baltimore, MD
73,830
19%
37
Mesa, AZ
70,216
30%
38
Kansas City, MO
69,669
25%
39
Orlando, FL
69,634
9%
40
Fresno, CA
67,275
4%
Big Cities Still Draw the Most Movers
Despite slower growth, America’s largest metros continue to see huge inflows.
New York City tops the list with more than 702,000 new residents in 2024, even though only 20% came from out of state.
Los Angeles (371,000) and Houston (356,000) also remain top destinations, driven by work opportunities and cultural influence.
Regional Trends Reveal Shifting Appeal
Texas dominates the top 10 with four cities—Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas—all drawing strong inflows.
Meanwhile, colder cities like Minneapolis and Detroit show much lower out-of-state shares, suggesting domestic migration continues to favor warmer climates and lower costs of living.
Coastal cities such as Seattle (27%) and Boston (28%) still attract significant out-of-state movement, likely reflecting their robust job markets.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing the Cost of the American Dream on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
Tyler Durden
Sat, 11/22/2025 – 22:45
