15 Cities Everyone Moved To During The Pandemic — And Which Ones They Vacated

Sunny Florida was a big hit. ☀️

There's a reason it seemed like everyone was leaving New York City, LA, and San Francisco during 2020 — they were.

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These three cities, which have long drawn people despite notoriously high rent and small living spaces, had the most people leave in 2020, according to CoreLogic, a property data and analytics company. 

The trend away from these major metros (and others, like Washington, DC, Miami, and Seattle) reflected a noticeable shift in priorities. As many Americans started working from home in 2020, they searched for more living space and fewer crowds. 

Turns out most people relocated to (and bought homes in) these 15 US cities:

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According to the study, people took advantage of 2020's record-low mortgage rates and bought homes in these 15 cities, many of which offered buyers more living space for less, lower property tax, no state income tax, and a sunny, outdoorsy lifestyle. (Florida was the winner by far.)

1. Riverside, California

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Riverside may not be located right on the ocean like LA, but, without traffic, it's about an hour from both downtown LA and the Pacific. Not bad when you consider that the average home price was less than half the cost of buying a home in LA in 2020 ($436,288 and $989,157, respectively). 

2. Lakeland, Florida

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Just 35 miles east of Tampa is Lakeland, a city with — as you might guess — a lot of lakes, warm weather, and access to the ocean (around 30 minutes by car). Not bad considering that the average home price in 2020 was $260,174.

3. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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Sandwiched between the much larger metros of Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, is Myrtle Beach, home to the Grand Strand, a 60-mile string of beaches. It may be a popular vacation destination, but it's hard to deny the perks of direct waterfront access, famous golf courses, and homes for $280,949 on average in 2020.

4. Las Vegas, Nevada

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There's more to Vegas than the strip — it's actually surrounded on three sides by natural beauty: two nature preserves and the giant Lake Mead. In addition to access to nature, Nevada has no state income tax and an average 2020 home price of $372,974. Sure beats San Francisco's average of $1,266,711 😬.

5. Tampa, Florida

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Tampa has big-city vibes, sunny weather, and direct access to the ocean. Homes in 2020 might have been around $100,000 more expensive than the neighboring city of Lakeland (#2) in 2020, but $348,849 isn't bad when you consider that it's right on the Gulf Coast.

6. Port St. Lucie, Florida

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Around half of Port St. Lucie's homebuyers in 2020 came from elsewhere. The city boomed in 2020 thanks to it's coastal location, lack of income tax, and — most notably if you ask me — a water preserve that's home to manatees, river otters, and alligators. 

Average home prices in 2020 hovered at $324,110.

7. Jacksonville, Florida

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Miami gets all the attention, but the biggest city in the income tax–less state of Florida is Jacksonville. It has a spacious, suburban feel, which paired with beaches, waterways, amazing food, golf courses, and homes that sold for an average of $319,559, made moving to Jacksonville in 2020 a no-brainer for many Americans.

8. San Antonio, Texas

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Unlike many cities on this list, San Antonio doesn't offer homebuyers a beachy breeze, but it does offer up a welcome dose of culture. People come to see the Alamo or walk the San Antonio River Walk and stay for the BBQ, Tex-Mex, and more affordable housing — $288,887 on average in 2020.

9. Deltona, Florida

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Deltona doesn't have direct ocean access (the Atlantic is 35 minutes to the east by car), but it's still a water-rich city with wetlands and direct access to Lake Monroe. Orlando is 30 minutes to the south, and to the west are miles of open space, nature preserves, and state parks. 

Home prices in Deltona hovered around $298,269 on average in 2020.

10. Dallas, Texas

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Dallas may be a major city, but it's retained its affordability with no state income tax and homes that sold for $343,968 on average in 2020. It's a price that's hard to pass up when you consider that you'll be situated in the region's cultural hub — with a great arts district and a booming food scene.

11. Stockton, California

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Just over an hour and 15 minutes from the wonderful-but-unaffordable city of San Francisco is Stockton, a city situated in California’s Central Valley on the San Joaquin River. Here, it's easy to live the outdoor lifestyle (and afford it) with great trails, a beautiful Japanese garden, and home prices that averaged $443,634 in 2020 (ahem, San Fran was over $1.2 million).

12. Cape Coral, Florida

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The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro area straddles the Caloosahatchee River, which leads into the Gulf of Mexico. With almost as much water as land, this area is home to manatees, amazing kayaking, bird watching, and several aquatic preserves. The community is perfect for those craving a water-heavy lifestyle — and homes that averaged $326,674 in 2020.

13. Phoenix, Arizona

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With year-round sun and warm temps, the Phoenix area is a dream for people who love the outdoors and want to be able to hike the same trails in January as they do in June. The city's Camelback Mountain draws tourists, but locals know the city offers much more — including affordable housing (average home prices in 2020 were $369,519).

14. Sarasota, Florida

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Just down the way from Tampa and across from St. Petersburg is the Sarasota metropolitan area, which includes the communities of North Port and Bradenton. The area's beaches, restaurants, shopping, and warm weather make this city a no-brainer — as do home prices that averaged $394,137 in 2020. 

15. Greeley, Colorado

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Greeley gets overlooked for the neighboring metro areas of Denver, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins, but this city has a feel all its own. With a great university (shoutout to University of Northern Colorado!) and a rich agricultural history, homes here were averaging around $455,395 in 2020.

Have you moved cities since the pandemic began? Share your journey in the comments!

And for more stories about life and money, check out the rest of our personal finance posts.