The 25 Cities Where Move Interest Is Surging Fastest in 2026

The cities with the biggest year-over-year surges in move searches made in moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator are practical places with economic momentum, real jobs, relative affordability, and room to put down roots.

Last year’s most popular move destinations are feeling a little…crowded. But as movers look for fresh options, new move-to darlings emerge. Which up-and-coming cities are blowing up in move interest in 2026?

We used searches conducted on moveBuddha’s cost calculator as a proxy for move interest in upcoming months, comparing in-to-out move ratios across two 12-month periods, March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025 and March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, to spotlight which cities are seeing a surge in relocation interest.

A high-ranking city on this list means move interest grew quickly year over year, not necessarily that a city had the highest overall inbound ratio.

What did we find?

• Two cities more than doubled move interest year over year: Chico, CA (119%) and Anchorage, AK (110%).
• In-person jobs and growing industries are powering these fast rising cities. The fastest-rising cities are strongly tied to such sectors including energy (Anchorage, Idaho Falls), aerospace (Las Cruces, Palm Bay, Broomfield), and universities (Chico).
• Florida and the Sunbelt still dominate, with cities in these regions nabbing 9 of 10 top spots. The exception? It’s Portland, ME, the only city in the Northeast.
• Small cities (Chico, Idaho Falls, Las Cruces) and satellites (Broomfield, Kissimmee) point to affordability as a key move factor in 2026.

In 2026, the cities rising fastest in move-to popularity show that new movers are seeking small and suburban locations where they can work, find a home, and enjoy year-round sunshine and weekend hikes.

The Top Ten Surging Cities: Relocating Americans Are Getting Practical

Want a real job? A house you can afford? Enough city to make life interesting? (In that order?)

The cities that are surging in interest right now aren’t high-priced coastal metros. Nor are they bargain towns wooing comeback crowds. They’re economically practical, though not aspirational, cities where movers are finding solid job opportunities at affordable costs.

Often, those jobs are tied to industries shaping the American economy. Six of the top 10 fastest-rising cities for relocation cluster around specific industrial anchors: Broomfield, Las Cruces, and Palm Bay are tied to aerospace and commercial space; Anchorage and Idaho Falls to oil logistics and nuclear research; Chico to a college town absorbing post-wildfire displaced residents at a fraction of Bay Area prices.

In other words, American movers today are rejecting extremes for a comfortable middle ground where a paycheck still requires showing up to work, in cities where they can see themselves settling down for life.

Last year’s move darlings were lifestyle destinations. This year’s winners are places with a job market underneath them.

The 4 Surging Florida Cities Aren’t The Usual Retirement Havens

Four of the top 10 cities surging in move-to popularity right now are in Florida, but this time, retirement does not look like the driving force.

The 4 Florida trend-setters this year sport an average median age of 40.95, just over the country’s median of 39.1. And Kissimmee’s median age is actually below the nation’s at 36.9. Compare that to popular move-to cities like Florida’s retirement haven, The Villages, an age-restricted enclave, where the median age is 68.1 and 85.2% of residents are 65 or older.

10 Cities Surging in Popularity With Movers in 2026

1. Chico, CA

Y/Y move interest growth: 119%
Previous-period in-to-0ut move ratio: 0.72
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.57

By California standards, this isolated northern campus town is a bargain that comes with urban perks, like microbreweries and wilderness access, without Sacramento or Bay Area price tags. It’s also been a center of new construction since the 2018 Camp Fire shook up regional housing demand — displacing residents from Paradise as well as encouraging them to permanently flee new insurance premiums. Whatever the reason, while last year’s in-move ratio was in the red, with .72 moves in for every move outbound, this year the city has jumped to a ratio of 1.57, up 119%.

2. Anchorage, AK

Y/Y move interest growth: 110%
Previous-period in-to-0ut move ratio: 0.88
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.85

Plenty of Americans are looking to join 40% of Alaska’s population in the remote state’s largest city. It’s part of a recent reversal for the state’s prime economic center, with population gains tipping toward growth since 2023. So, regardless of whether newcomers are there for wildlife, northern lights, or the city-side logistics arm of the Northern Slope’s oil fields, they’ll find themselves among 1.85 incoming movers for every resident heading out this year.

3. Broomfield, CO

Y/Y move interest growth: 90%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 0.98
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.87

It’s possible that a nearby Sierra Space facility, coupled with Ball Aerospace and NASA-Goddard labs in Boulder, have helped raise interest in this northwest Denver suburb alongside other aerospace-affiliated top 10 entrants. And it doesn’t hurt that the area’s average home price is ~50% lower than nearby Boulder. Last year, the city was struggling to break even, with .98 newcomers for every exit. This year, the tables have turned. Its move ratio is up 90% to 1.87.

4. Idaho Falls, ID

Y/Y move interest growth: 90%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 0.86
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.64

Nuclear growth? Idaho Falls has gone from a negative .86 growth ratio in 2025 to 1.64 today. And it’s accurate that the Idaho National Laboratory has helped cement this East Idaho regional hub as a force in today’s employment market. But the remote work relocation shake-up that catapulted Idaho to the top of relocation lists (especially from expensive regional alternatives like Washington and California) is also a likely culprit. Big nature and a small city with amenities continue to draw newcomers to an area that’s a stone’s throw away from Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, with fishing and kayaking along the Snake River built in.

5. Fort Myers, FL

Y/Y move interest growth: 85%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 0.86
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.58

From hurricane recovery to an expanding construction industry and an affordability edge compared to neighbors like Naples, Fort Myers sits at an intersection of perks that have made many movers say “yes” to the riverfront Florida enclave. This year, 1.58 movers are looking to move in compared to those leaving, up 85% this year. The area’s residents know they’re in the eye of a new hurricane, reporting on high recent growth, the possibility of an unrecognizable future city, and the reality of new economic drivers like a new Amazon fulfillment center.

6. Kissimmee, FL

Y/Y move interest growth: 58%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.42
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 2.23

Kissimmee already had the 2nd highest in-flow ratio of our top ten list last year, and it’s surged 58% since then. This year, it’s pulling in 2.23 newcomers for every out-move. Maybe that’s because it’s around 20% more affordable than Orlando and just 25 minutes away by rail. Known for tourism, the area faces “headwinds” and cancelled flight routes that haven’t yet impacted the flow of new movers betting on a little bit of Central Florida magic.

7. Port St. Lucie, FL

Y/Y move interest growth: 44%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.06
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.53

Increasing 44% from a move ratio of 1.06 last year to 1.53 now, this Treasure Coast haven is having a (long) moment. Its population, which was just 300 in 1970, is over 268K and growing today, including a 31.2% surge since 2010. There’s been plenty of talk about what great growth looks like, too, since the parade of new residents began: for instance, are the warehouses that serve nearby Orlando and Miami providing living wage jobs for young people? Will the predominant single-family homes eventually curb sprawl and prevent the city from becoming the next major Florida metro? So far, the answers are unknown, but new residents continue bringing their moving trucks anyway.

8. Portland, ME

Y/Y move interest growth: 40%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.85
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 2.58

Maine’s only growing city, Portland, is making up for the state’s losses with its outsized 40% growth ratio. In-moves increased from 1.85 to 2.58 this year — the highest in the entire top 10. That may mean that its reputation as a place where “everyone knows everyone” may not last long. Not only is “New England’s coolest hub” known for wooing other Mainers, but outsiders are taking notice, too.

9. Palm Bay, FL

Y/Y move interest growth: 37%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.16
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.58

A high-growth cousin to Port St. Lucie, 60 miles south, Palm Bay expands Florida’s pricy Miami corridor up the Atlantic coast, finding more room to stretch out and home prices that are easier on the wallet. Palm Bay, just south of Melbourne, situates newcomers closer to Orlando’s satellite suburbs. Even though it’d be a heck of a commute, Palm Bay does allow bargain-seekers a foot in the door for concerts, ball games, and theme parks. Perhaps that’s why this popular city has increased its move ratio 37% over last year, moving from 1.16 to 1.58.

10. Las Cruces, NM

Y/Y move interest growth: 31%
Previous-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.18
Current-period in-to-out move ratio: 1.55

Along with a burgeoning population, Las Cruces is seeing housing prices rise faster than the rest of its state. That could be the double-edged sword of growth, often attributed to Spaceport America, a commercial launch facility heading the charge toward civilian space travel. Though it may not be the rockets, economic growth is marching hand in hand alongside moving popularity (and prices): it was recently named one of the top small cities for economic growth. When it comes to relocation interest, Las Cruces has seen 33% growth in its in-move ratio since last year, soaring from 1.18 to 1.55.

Not Your Usual Boomtowns

Across the board, today’s fastest-rising moving move-to winners look more like dependable “Everytown, U.S.A.”: they’re solid, affordable, job-connected, and built for staying put.

However, they’re not giving up on lifestyle entirely. From clear desert skies to Florida Atlantic beaches and Portland cafes, they’re finding havens that nurture their whole lives, especially jobs — but just as importantly, wallets and souls.

So while the cities at the top of this list aren’t the biggest names, they’re flexible, cool, and workable. And whether you’re looking to head to Space Mountain or into the very real suborbital mesosphere, you’ll likely find your next home base on this list.

Methodology

To identify the fastest-rising move-to cities in 2026, moveBuddha analyzed searches from its cost calculator across two 12-month periods:

Previous period: March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025

Current period: March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026.

For each city, we calculated an in-to-out move ratio for each period by comparing the number of searches from people looking to move in with those from people looking to move out. We then calculated the year-over-year percentage change in that ratio.

Cities were included only if they recorded at least 50 total inbound and outbound move searches across the full study period. The 25 cities ranked here all posted year-over-year increases in their in-to-out ratios. To pinpoint cities with the highest move-interest, only those with a current-period move ratio above 1.5 were included.

A high ranking indicates that move interest increased quickly year over year, not necessarily that a city had the highest overall inbound move ratio.

Jessica Share

Dr. Jessica Share is a former academic with a Ph.D. in philosophy who loves researching issues in population studies, higher education and geo economics. Her writing specializes in data-driven storytelling about where people are moving to and from across the U.S., with a deep connection to macro factors and other trends driving these changes.