The city Americans keep choosing — and the state they keep leaving
Texas posted the highest net domestic migration of any state in 2024, absorbing 392,287 more residents than it lost, per US Census Bureau data.
Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas each ranked among the top destinations for Gen Z net migration that year, reflecting the state’s pull across generations.
Most desirable cities 2026
▲ Most desirable
| # | City | State | % cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville | TN | 21.4% |
| 2 | Denver | CO | 21.0% |
| 3 | San Diego | CA | — |
| 4 | Charlotte | NC | — |
| 5 | Seattle | WA | — |
| 6 | Tampa | FL | — |
| 7 | Raleigh | NC | — |
| 8 | Austin | TX | — |
| 9 | Boston | MA | — |
| 10 | Orlando | FL | — |
Least desirable cities 2026
▼ Least desirable
| # | City | State | % cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | IL | 27% |
| 2 | New York City | NY | 26% |
| 3 | Detroit | MI | 23% |
| 4 | Los Angeles | CA | — |
| 5 | San Francisco | CA | — |
| 6 | Birmingham | AL | — |
| 7 | Baltimore | MD | — |
| 8 | Atlanta | GA | — |
| 9 | Washington, DC | DC | — |
| 10 | Tampa | FL | — |
Source: Clever Real Estate Where People Want to Live Survey, June 2026 (n=1,000 Americans). % cited reflects share naming city as a top-five destination or least desirable. Data not published for all ranked positions.
Affordability defines who moves — and who can’t
The appetite for relocation is real but largely unfulfilled. While 59% of Americans say they could be convinced to move to a different state, 90% acknowledge something is stopping them, and for 54%, that barrier is financial.
They say they simply cannot afford to relocate to a more desirable market. That figure rises to 62% among Gen Z respondents, a cohort that brokers and originators have been watching closely as a future driver of purchase demand.
Safety and cost of living now lead as the defining criteria for desirability, cited by 67% and 65% of respondents respectively.
