The Top City in the US Everyone Wants to Move to by State in 2026

Ryan Carrigan

Last Updated: Aug 13, 2026
7 min read

Using search data from the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator, we analyzed searches from January 1, 2026 through August 12, 2026, to identify the top city in each state Americans want to move to this year.

While not every search turns into a move, search behavior offers an early signal of where interest is building. We won’t know for sure where today’s movers really go until the 2026 Census data estimates are released in 2027, but their interest can tell us a lot about their dreams and plans for the coming year before they even move.

So, what cities are Americans loving the most, by state, for their 2026 moves?

Louisville is #1 with a 5.00 ratio.
Las Cruces jumps 18 spots to #3.
6 of the top 10 have lower typical home values than their state overall.

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Rank	City, ST	In-to-out move ratio
1	Louisville, KY	5.00
2	Ocala, FL	3.40
3	Las Cruces, NM	3.17
4	Conway, SC	2.92
5	Johnson City, TN	2.69
6	San Marcos, TX	2.50
7	Idaho Falls, ID	2.44
8	Wake Forest, NC	2.32
9	Kingman, AZ	2.31
10	Boulder, CO	2.16
11	Palm Springs, CA	2.14
12	Rapid City, SD	2.12
13	Bozeman, MT	2.03
14	Portland, ME	2.01
15	Bentonville, AR	2.00
16	Sparks, NV	1.97
17	Bend, OR	1.95
18	Edison, NJ	1.73
19	Huntsville, AL	1.70
20	Bellingham, WA	1.65
21	Ithaca, NY	1.58
22	Alpharetta, GA	1.52
23	Reston, VA	1.50
24	Green Bay, WI	1.394
25	St. George, UT	1.391

Big Takeaways

Louisville is the new #1. The Kentucky city recorded 135 inbound searches compared with just 27 outbound, giving it an in-to-out ratio of 5.00.
Las Cruces is surging. It rises from #21 in our earlier analysis to #3 today. Separate moveBuddha research also ranked Las Cruces among the country's fastest-rising cities for mover interest in 2026.
Wake Forest, NC falls from #1 to #8. Its ratio declined from 4.77 to 2.32, but that still means the city earns over 2-times more searches for moves in than out.
The state favorites are remarkably consistent. Only two state leaders change from our earlier 2026 analysis: Huntsville replaces Madison in Alabama, while Hartford replaces Manchester in Connecticut.
Affordability stands out near the top. Six of the national top 10 have typical home values below their respective statewide typical home values, including Ocala, Kingman, Idaho Falls, and Las Cruces.

The Top 10 Move-to Cities of 2026

This year's top 10 with the highest in-to-out move ratio includes several familiar names, but there is a new city at the top.

Louisville now leads the country with 135 inbound searches for every 27 outbound searches, a 5.00 in-to-out ratio. That is a major shift from our earlier 2026 analysis, when Louisville had more outbound than inbound search interest.

The rise comes after a busy year of economic development announcements. Louisville reported more than $3 billion in capital investment and 2,768 announced jobs in 2025, including major investments from Ford, GE Appliances, and Foxconn.

Las Cruces makes another big move, jumping from #21 in our earlier analysis to #3 today. Its in-to-out ratio has more than doubled, from 1.56 to 3.17.

That follows another moveBuddha analysis that identified Las Cruces as one of the country’s fastest-rising cities for move interest. The city has also landed new investment, including Endurance Technologies' first U.S. manufacturing facility, expected to create 43 jobs with $18.6 million in capital expenditures.

San Marcos also makes a significant move up the rankings, from #14 to #6, while Boulder climbs from #19 to #10.

Wake Forest moves in the other direction. The North Carolina city led our earlier 2026 rankings with a 4.77 ratio but now ranks #8 with a 2.32 ratio.

Only Two States Have a New #1 City

Most states have held onto the same favorite city since our earlier 2026 analysis.

Only Alabama and Connecticut have new state leaders. Huntsville replaces Madison in Alabama, while Hartford replaces Manchester in Connecticut.

Huntsville also lands at #19 nationally with a 1.70 in-to-out ratio. Its rise comes amid several major investments. Eli Lilly announced plans for a $6 billion manufacturing campus expected to create 450 jobs, while Blue Origin and SPX development agreements call for nearly $200 million in additional investment and more than 450 jobs.

Several familiar favorites also remain near the top nationally. Ocala climbs from #3 to #2, Johnson City stays at #5, and Kingman moves from #6 to #9. Portland falls from #4 to #14, while Palm Springs moves from #8 to #11.

Six of the National Top 10 Cost Less Than Their State Overall

Housing costs do not explain every move, but they stand out among several of the country's hottest destinations.

In 18 states, the top city has a lower typical home value than the state overall. Among the national top 10, six cities fall into this group.

Rank	City	City home value	State home value	City vs. state
#2	Ocala, FL	$271,413	$399,825	32.12% less
#3	Las Cruces, NM	$294,884	$322,739	8.63% less
#4	Conway, SC	$292,058	$312,115	6.43% less
#5	Johnson City, TN	$308,343	$339,643	9.22% less
#7	Idaho Falls, ID	$400,696	$482,036	16.87% less
#9	Kingman, AZ	$278,193	$432,299	35.65% less

Kingman offers the biggest relative discount in the top 10, with a typical home value nearly 36% below Arizona overall.

Ocala is another standout. Its typical home value of $271,413 is about 32% below Florida's statewide figure, even as the city attracts 3.4 inbound searches for every one outbound.

Louisville does not fit the same pattern. Its $274,320 typical home value is 16.38% above Kentucky's statewide figure, but it remains one of the least expensive cities in the national top 10.

And then there is Boulder.

The #10 city has a typical home value of $1,159,451, about 108% higher than Colorado overall. It is a reminder that movers are not simply chasing the cheapest place available.

Across all 49 state-leading cities, only 18 have home values below their statewide averages, while 31 are more expensive. Affordability relative to the rest of the state is therefore much more common in the national top 10 than across the full list.

The 10 Top Move-To Cities with the Lowest Home Values in 2026

Looking for the most housing bang for your buck? Check out these desirable gems in affordable communities that are catching the attention of movers right now.

Three cities have typical single-family home values under $200K mark: Jackson, MS; Charleston, WV; and Springfield, IL.

What's especially notable this year is how many of the strongest move-to cities also come in under $300K. #1 Louisville, #2 Ocala, and #3 Las Cruces all have typical home values below that mark.

Only state leaders with more inbound than outbound search interest are included in the following lowest- and highest-value lists.

City, State	In-to-out ratio	Home Values
Jackson, MS	115 moves in to 100 out	$84,776
Charleston, WV	117 moves in to 100 out	$173,040
Springfield, IL	106 moves in to 100 out	$175,228
Davenport, IA	104 moves in to 100 out	$200,168
New Orleans, LA	116 moves in to 100 out	$242,622
Springfield, MO	137 moves in to 100 out	$248,570
Ocala, FL	340 moves in to 100 out	$271,413
Louisville, KY	500 moves in to 100 out	$274,320
Kingman, AZ	231 moves in to 100 out	$278,193
Green Bay, WI	139 moves in to 100 out	$290,003

The 10 Top Move-To Cities with the Highest Home Values in 2026

At the other end, the most expensive state favorites include several cities still seeing strong inbound search interest.

City, State	In-to-out ratio	Home Values
Boulder, CO	216 moves in to 100 out	$1,159,451
Palm Springs, CA	214 moves in to 100 out	$971,185
Bozeman, MT	203 moves in to 100 out	$821,401
Reston, VA	150 moves in to 100 out	$806,178
Bend, OR	195 moves in to 100 out	$753,250
Alpharetta, GA	152 moves in to 100 out	$751,706
Bellingham, WA	165 moves in to 100 out	$705,165
Edison, NJ	173 moves in to 100 out	$693,633
Lewes, DE	104 moves in to 100 out	$618,416
Portland, ME	201 moves in to 100 out	$590,351

Boulder stands out among the high-cost cities. Its typical single-family home value is $1,159,451, yet it still ranks #10 nationally with a 2.16 in-to-out search ratio.

It is not the only high-cost city holding attention.

Palm Springs and Bozeman also combine home values above $800,000 with in-to-out ratios above 2.0.

Conclusion

Louisville's rise to #1 and Las Cruces' jump from #21 to #3 show how quickly mover interest can shift, even as most states continue to favor the same city they did earlier in the year.

The housing data also makes one thing clear: there is no single price point attracting would-be movers. Six of the top 10 cities cost less than their state overall, while Boulder draws more than twice as many inbound as outbound searches despite a typical single-family home value above $1.1 million.

If you're weighing a move of your own, use these rankings as a starting point rather than a prediction of where people will ultimately settle. moveBuddha tracks millions of moving searches and uses real mover behavior to spot these shifts early, helping people see which places are making movers' shortlists before official migration data catches up.

Methodology

To determine the top move-to city in every state, we analyzed moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator search data from January 1 through August 12, 2026.

For each city, the in-to-out ratio compares searches for moves into the city with searches for moves out. A ratio above 1.0 means the city received more inbound than outbound search interest; a ratio below 1.0 means the reverse.

Only cities with at least 25 searches for moves both in and out were considered. That left one state — Hawaii — out of this year's data.

Eight states did not have a qualifying city with an in-to-out ratio above 1.0. In those states, the city shown is the qualifying location with the strongest ratio:

Hartford, CT — 0.91
Somerville, MA — 0.94
Rochester, MN — 0.91
Omaha, NE — 0.97
Concord, NH — 0.95
Grand Forks, ND — 1.00
Dublin, OH — 0.97
Providence, RI — 0.87

For housing comparisons, we used June 2026 Zillow Home Value Index data for single-family homes, comparing the typical home value in each city with the corresponding statewide value.

moveBuddha search data measures relocation interest, not completed moves or the reasons behind an individual search.

Full list of the top cities in each state:

State	City, ST	In-to-out Move Ratio	Zillow June 2026
Alabama	Huntsville, AL	1.70	$297,092
Alaska	Anchorage, AK	1.12	$468,430
Arizona	Kingman, AZ	2.31	$278,193
Arkansas	Bentonville, AR	2.00	$496,997
California	Palm Springs, CA	2.14	$971,185
Colorado	Boulder, CO	2.16	$1,159,451
Connecticut	Hartford, CT	0.91	$281,244
Delaware	Lewes, DE	1.04	$618,416
Florida	Ocala, FL	3.40	$271,413
Georgia	Alpharetta, GA	1.52	$751,706
Idaho	Idaho Falls, ID	2.44	$400,696
Illinois	Springfield, IL	1.06	$175,228
Indiana	Fishers, IN	1.25	$464,451
Iowa	Davenport, IA	1.04	$200,168
Kansas	Olathe, KS	1.21	$443,260
Kentucky	Louisville, KY	5.00	$274,320
Louisiana	New Orleans, LA	1.16	$242,622
Maine	Portland, ME	2.01	$590,351
Maryland	Frederick, MD	1.19	$490,730
Massachusetts	Somerville, MA	0.94	$1,174,101
Michigan	Grand Rapids, MI	1.27	$310,905
Minnesota	Rochester, MN	0.91	$356,477
Mississippi	Jackson, MS	1.15	$84,776
Missouri	Springfield, MO	1.37	$248,570
Montana	Bozeman, MT	2.03	$821,401
Nebraska	Omaha, NE	0.97	$302,379
Nevada	Sparks, NV	1.97	$542,920
New Hampshire	Concord, NH	0.95	$490,574
New Jersey	Edison, NJ	1.73	$693,633
New Mexico	Las Cruces, NM	3.17	$294,884
New York	Ithaca, NY	1.58	$420,358
North Carolina	Wake Forest, NC	2.32	$518,652
North Dakota	Grand Forks, ND	1.00	$311,764
Ohio	Dublin, OH	0.97	$642,584
Oklahoma	Edmond, OK	1.11	$359,076
Oregon	Bend, OR	1.95	$753,250
Pennsylvania	Lancaster, PA	1.09	$388,509
Rhode Island	Providence, RI	0.87	$445,451
South Carolina	Conway, SC	2.92	$292,058
South Dakota	Rapid City, SD	2.12	$368,351
Tennessee	Johnson City, TN	2.69	$308,343
Texas	San Marcos, TX	2.50	$314,018
Utah	St. George, UT	1.39	$541,156
Vermont	Burlington, VT	1.22	$548,409
Virginia	Reston, VA	1.50	$806,178
Washington	Bellingham, WA	1.65	$705,165
West Virginia	Charleston, WV	1.17	$173,040
Wisconsin	Green Bay, WI	1.394	$290,003
Wyoming	Cheyenne, WY	1.26	$393,781

Ryan Carrigan

Ryan Carrigan is the co-founder of moveBuddha and a leading voice in the moving industry, helping hundreds of thousands of Americans make smarter, safer relocation decisions each year. With more than a decade of experience analyzing moving companies, pricing trends, and industry regulations, Ryan brings hands-on industry knowledge and data-driven insight to every guide and review. His research has been featured in Forbes, Consumer Reports, The New York Times, and NBC News.