US House Hunters Hit Record 19.1% Cross-Metro Searches in Q1 as High Rates Push Moves
Updated
Updated · Mortgage Professional · Jun 29
US House Hunters Hit Record 19.1% Cross-Metro Searches in Q1 as High Rates Push Moves
1 articles · Updated · Mortgage Professional · Jun 29
Summary
19.1% of U.S. house hunters searched outside their home metro in Q1 2026, Redfin said, the highest share since its records began in 2021 and up from 18.9% a year earlier.
High mortgage rates and near-record home prices are pushing buyers out of expensive markets, while remote work makes cross-state moves feasible without changing jobs.
Florida captured the biggest inflows: Orlando led metros with a net 6,914 Redfin users, and the state drew 46,664—more than Arizona, South Carolina and Tennessee combined.
New York, Seattle and Los Angeles still posted the largest metro outflows, but departures have slowed sharply; New York's fell to about 28,000 from 46,000 in 2022, and the Bay Area's to roughly 23,000 from 74,000.
The migration shift is becoming more selective, with some pandemic-boom Sun Belt markets now correcting as insurance costs rise and buyers increasingly balance affordability with job access.