Real Estate

People in these US cities want to move to NYC the most

By
Social Links for Heather Senison
Published Aug. 7, 2023, 1:04 p.m. ET

New Yorkers, brace yourselves. An influx of newcomers from around the country could very well be imminent.

The Big Apple was the top-searched urban center on listings portals StreetEasy and Zillow for rentals and for-sale homes in May — the most recent month the sites analyzed. New York accounted for 5.2% of all searches nationwide, followed by Los Angeles with 3.8%.

The places where folks are looking at city listings from the most are Miami, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, in that order, according to Zillow findings. Also in the top 10 are two cities not terribly far from the five boroughs — Trenton, N.J. and Stamford, Conn. — as well as Chicago and San Francisco.

Despite Florida’s favorable taxes and California’s sunny weather, the Big Apple’s strong job market, hospitality and culture are still a big draw for out-of-towners, noted StreetEasy economist Kenny Lee.

Perhaps it’s no surprise the city is on the radars of others. New York’s tourism alone is on the rebound, with more than 61 million visitors expected this year. That’s up from 33 million in 2021 and 56 million from 2022. Still, it’s shy of the 70 million visitors who came in 2019.

The most search interest came from Miami, which also worked in reverse -- New Yorkers searched that city's offerings the most.
The most search interest for New York City came from Miami, which also worked in reverse — New Yorkers searched that city’s offerings the most. Paul Martinka
As was the case especially beginning in 2020, New Yorkers still have Miami on their radars.
As was the case especially beginning in 2020, New Yorkers still have Miami on their radars. AM / SplashNews.com
A good chunk of search interest for New York property came from Cleveland, Ohio.
A good chunk of search interest for New York property came from Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Philadelphia, too, also saw a number of residents browsing listings for city homes -- just 90 miles away.
Philadelphia, too, also saw a number of residents browsing listings for city homes — just 90 miles away. Getty Images/iStockphoto

But the allure, especially when it comes to living in New York, is also about the city’s energy and diversity, added Compass broker Julia Hoagland.

“It keeps you on your toes and always keeps you guessing,” she said. “It’s not unheard of to hear five or more languages on your walk from the subway to the office.”

Despite the number of out-of-town searches for New York homes, there are still New Yorkers looking to leave — a trend that became pronounced as the coronavirus reached American shores in spring 2020. As for where locals are browsing, there is some overlap.

The top five cities that New York City residents searched the most in May were Miami, Philadelphia, Stamford, Atlanta and Tampa, according to the data.