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

Joe Robison

Last Updated: Feb 18, 2026
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Using search data from the moveBuddha Moving Cost Calculator, we analyzed searches from July 2025 through the end of January 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?

#1 Wake Forest, NC (4.77 in-to-out ratio); #2 Conway, SC; and #3 Ocala, FL.
#6 Kingman, AZ jumps 15 spots, biggest 2026 leap y/y.
In 19 states, this year’s new favorite city costs more than last year.

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Rank	City, State	in-to-out ratio
1	Wake Forest, NC	4.77
2	Conway, SC	3.95
3	Ocala, FL	2.96
4	Portland, ME	2.84
5	Johnson City, TN	2.69
6	Kingman, AZ	2.55
7	Anchorage, AK	2.34
8	Palm Springs, CA	2.34
9	Idaho Falls, ID	2.27
10	Rapid City, SD	2.12
11	Somerville, MA	2.00
12	Lewes, DE	2.00
13	Bend, OR	1.94
14	San Marcos, TX	1.90
15	Bozeman, MT	1.76
16	Frederick, MD	1.74
17	Davenport, IA	1.73
18	Alpharetta, GA	1.70
19	Boulder, CO	1.63
20	Fishers, IN	1.62
21	Las Cruces, NM	1.56
22	Dublin, OH	1.52
23	Bellingham, WA	1.51
24	Edmond, OK	1.50
25	Reston, VA	1.50

Big Takeaways

Wake Forest, NC takes the #1 spot this year (4.77), while last year's leader and Tennessee's repeat-favorite, Johnson City, falls to #5.
8 cities clung to their national top 25 year over year, including Johnson City (TN), Portland (ME), and Palm Springs (CA). But it's Kingman, AZ, that jumps highest in the rankings from #21 in 2025 up to #6 in 2026, up 15 spots.
2026’s favorite cities by state fall into three buckets: repeats, lower cost or higher cost. 10 states trade last year’s pricier picks for lower-cost spots, like New Mexico's trade-in for Las Cruces over Santa Fe (-$282k). While 19 states opt for a pricier (often suburban) trade-up.
Small cities are still big news. 9 of the top 10 have less than the average population across the top cities (86,656), with #2 Conway, SC the smallest of those. But the smallest overall is quirky #12 Lewes, DE with less than 5k residents.

The Top 10 Move-to Cities of 2026

We found the top move-to city in 42 of the 50 states.

This year's top 10 with the highest in-to-out move ratio, indicating the most desired, reflects a variety of preferences but underscores a common desire for practicality.

Where 2025 featured more "rugged outpost" cities, 2026 favors places that balance livability with access to work.

Here's what's changed this year compared to last.

Familiar Favorites Stay on Top

For 13 states, the top move-to city stayed the same. In many of those, home values have fallen.

Among the eight states that still place a city in the national top 25, six saw prices fall or hold steady year over year.

City, ST	2025 Rank → 2026 Rank	Y/y Home Price Change
Portland, ME	9 → 4	-0.34%
Johnson City, TN	1 → 5	1.41%
Kingman, AZ	21 → 6	-42.27%
Palm Springs, CA	12 → 8	-3.66%
Rapid City, SD	18 → 10	1.61%
Bend, OR	17 → 13	-0.93%
Bozeman, MT	22 → 15	-2.11%
Boulder, CO	13 → 19	-3.91%

Portland, ME; Bend, OR; Bozeman, MT; Boulder, CO; and Palm Springs, CA all posted modest declines, while Johnson City, TN and Rapid City, SD saw small increases. Falling home values may suggest buyers are seeing less price pressure, reducing the need to switch to a new “value” alternative.

The other five cities that appear again as their state's favorite are: Ithaca, NY; St. George, UT; Cheyenne, WY; Bentonville, AR; and
Springfield, MO.

States Where the New Top City Costs Less

10 states replaced a higher-priced 2025 favorite with a more affordable option in 2026.

State	2025 Top City	2026 Top City
South Carolina	Summerville, SC — $379,591	Conway, SC — $282,240
Florida	The Villages, FL — $403,248	Ocala, FL — $264,885
Idaho	Coeur d'Alene, ID — $553,722	Idaho Falls, ID — $383,840
Maryland	Silver Spring, MD — $542,771	Frederick, MD — $456,779
Iowa	Des Moines, IA — $199,730	Davenport, IA — $180,595
New Mexico	Santa Fe, NM — $566,657	Las Cruces, NM — $285,037
New Hampshire	Nashua, NH — $467,297	Concord, NH — $432,906
Wisconsin	Appleton, WI — $270,595	Green Bay, WI — $266,936
West Virginia	Morgantown, WV — $263,817	Charleston, WV — $159,866
Connecticut	Stamford, CT — $662,921	Manchester, CT — $314,410

Typical “savings” across the top cities this year vs last year’s leader is $128K, or roughly 25% less than last year’s top city.

In Connecticut and New Mexico, the shift is even more dramatic. Manchester’s typical home value is less than half of Stamford’s, and Las Cruces comes in at about half the price of Santa Fe.

States Where the New Top City Costs More

But affordability isn't the rule.

In 19 of the states, the new favorite city to move to is pricier than the 2025 leader. In about half of those, it's a suburb.

State	2025 City & Home Values	2026 City & Home Values
North Carolina	Hickory, NC — $278,699	Wake Forest, NC — $508,022
Alaska	Fairbanks, AK — $287,878	Anchorage, AK — $400,298
Massachusetts	Plymouth, MA — $603,071	Somerville, MA — $899,942
Delaware	Wilmington, DE — $307,799	Lewes, DE — $581,317
Texas	McAllen TX — $221,244	San Marcos, TX — $308,030
Georgia	Duluth GA — $440,500	Alpharetta, GA — $709,101
Indiana	Greenwood, IN — $308,031	Fishers, IN — $434,383
Ohio	Youngstown, OH — $61,937	Dublin, OH — $545,987
Washington	Olympia, WA — $527,467	Bellingham, WA — $651,041
Oklahoma	Lawton, OK — $128,342	Edmond, OK — $348,782
Virginia	Charlottesville, VA — $375,423	Reston, VA — $621,428
Alabama	Huntsville, AL — $266,736	Madison, AL — $368,788
Minnesota	Duluth, MN — $258,169	Rochester, MN — $328,754
New Jersey	Newark, NJ — $475,797	Edison, NJ — $623,764
Nevada	Henderson, NV — $487,088	Sparks, NV — $517,167
Kansas	Kansas City, KS — $184,445	Olathe, KS — $416,723
Pennsylvania	Harrisburg, PA — $242,254	Lancaster, PA — $330,200
Michigan	Lansing, MI — $148,542	Grand Rapids, MI — $288,993
Illinois	Peoria, IL — $126,310	Springfield, IL — $158,546

The typical home value among these trade-up cities is about $476,000. On average, buyers are paying roughly $174,000 more than they would have in last year’s top city.

For this group of states, the top city is often a suburb or exurb tied to a major metro, with higher home prices reflecting stronger schools, shorter commutes, and access to established job centers. When it's not a suburb, it may be a strong regional city like San Marcos, TX, or Grand Rapids, MI.

These findings contrast with the desires of movers in 2026 for lower cost and money savings when it comes to a move this year, according to our mover survey. Search behavior suggests proximity to jobs still outweighs stated cost concerns.

The 10 Top Move-To Cities with the Lowest Home Prices 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 housing under the $200K mark: Springfield, IL; Charleston, WV; and Davenport, IA.

Your most affordable option is Springfield, IL, which sits at the heart of Illinois, close enough to both Chicago and St. Louis for easy weekend trips. Named for the nearby springs, the city's average home price is 56% lower than the nation's average ($357K), and it's been named one of the best places to retire in America.

What’s the most popular of the cheap locales? That’s #2 Conway, SC. For every person looking to leave, nearly four are searching to move in. It’s easy to see why: you’re half an hour from Myrtle Beach, you get a walkable historic downtown, and homes cost almost $100K less than in Summerville, last year’s South Carolina favorite.

City, State	In-to-out ratio	Home Values
Springfield, IL	123 moves in to 100 out	$158,546
Charleston, WV	117 moves in to 100 out	$159,866
Davenport, IA	173 moves in to 100 out	$180,595
Springfield, MO	111 moves in to 100 out	$235,181
Ocala, FL	296 moves in to 100 out	$264,885
Ithaca, NY	142 moves in to 100 out	$265,000
Kingman, AZ	255 moves in to 100 out	$266,561
Green Bay, WI	127 moves in to 100 out	$266,936
Johnson City, TN	269 moves in to 100 out	$282,216
Conway, SC	395 moves in to 100 out	$282,240

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

In all the most expensive top destinations, the average home price is more than 60% above the national average. That hasn’t stopped newcomers from seeking out these destinations.

City, State	In-to-out ratio	Home Values
Boulder, CO	163 moves in to 100 out	$919,006
Somerville, MA	200 moves in to 100 out	$899,942
Bend, OR	194 moves in to 100 out	$719,428
Alpharetta, GA	170 moves in to 100 out	$709,101
Bozeman, MT	176 moves in to 100 out	$704,794
Bellingham, WA	151 moves in to 100 out	$651,041
Edison, NJ	133 moves in to 100 out	$623,764
Reston, VA	150 moves in to 100 out	$621,428
Palm Springs, CA	234 moves in to 100 out	$611,888
Lewes, DE	200 moves in to 100 out	$581,317

Topping the “least affordable top destinations” again this year, Boulder continues to have some of the highest housing prices in the country. But with its college-town culture, mountain lifestyle, and high annual sun hours close to the economic hub of Denver, people are still pouring in. They’ll pay less this year than last, with home prices falling from about $950k to $920k for an average home here. Already last year, Boulder’s popularity had dipped, and this year again. Despite the fall, demand hasn’t disappeared. For every 100 people looking to leave, 163 are trying to move in.

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

Somerville, MA, with typical home values around $899,942, is seeing 200 moves in for every 100 out.

Bend, OR, at $719,428, and Bozeman, MT, at $704,794, continue to attract newcomers as well.

Palm Springs, CA stands out with 234 moves in per 100 out, while Alpharetta, GA, Bellingham, WA, Reston, VA, Edison, NJ, and Lewes, DE all post solid inbound interest.

Across mountain towns, beach communities, and affluent suburbs, buyers in 2026 are still choosing lifestyle even when it comes at a premium.

Conclusion

If move-to hotspots and metro access are the priority, Wake Forest, NC leads the list, followed by suburban standouts like Alpharetta, GA; Reston, VA; Edison, NJ; and Somerville, MA. These cities show that when states trade up, they often land in established suburbs tied to major job centers.

On the other end, several lower-priced leaders are still drawing steady attention. Springfield, IL; Charleston, WV; Davenport, IA; Ocala, FL; Kingman, AZ; and Conway, SC show that smaller markets continue to compete for move-in interest.

At the top of the price spectrum, demand has not faded. Boulder, CO remains a magnet, alongside Bend, OR; Bozeman, MT; Palm Springs, CA; and Lewes, DE. Higher home values have not kept these destinations off shortlists.

Taken together, this year’s rankings show two clear tracks: some movers are prioritizing affordability, while others are leaning into proximity, access, and established markets.

Methodology

To determine the top move-to city in every state, we looked at moveBuddha's most recent mover search data. The data used for this analysis includes searches made at any time between July 1, 2025, and Jan 31, 2026.

Only cities with at least 20 searches for moves both in and out were considered. That left one state — Hawaii — out of this year's data.

There were seven states that didn't have a single city in the dataset with an in-to-out ratio greater than "1" meaning there was not technically a top "move to" city according to mover search data. These cities, instead, were the least "moved out" of cities in their state:

Burlington, VT
New Orleans, LA
Louisville, KY
Grand Forks, ND
Providence, RI
Omaha, NE
Jackson, MS

We also used Zillow Home Value Index data (Dec 2025) for home averages and U.S. Census population estimates for 2024.

Full list of the top cities in each state:

State	City, ST	2024 Pop Estimate	In-to-out Move Ratio	Zillow Dec 2025
Alabama	Madison, AL	64,029	1.50	$368,788
Alaska	Anchorage, AK	289,600	2.34	$400,298
Arizona	Kingman, AZ	35,383	2.55	$266,561
Arkansas	Bentonville, AR	61,791	1.19	$483,025
California	Palm Springs, CA	45,453	2.34	$611,888
Colorado	Boulder, CO	106,803	1.63	$919,006
Connecticut	Manchester, CT	36,379	1.10	$314,410
Delaware	Lewes, DE	3,702	2.00	$581,317
Florida	Ocala, FL	70,251	2.96	$264,885
Georgia	Alpharetta, GA	67,275	1.70	$709,101
Idaho	Idaho Falls, ID	69,523	2.27	$383,840
Illinois	Springfield, IL	112,949	1.23	$158,546
Indiana	Fishers, IN	103,986	1.62	$434,383
Iowa	Davenport, IA	100,938	1.73	$180,595
Kansas	Olathe, KS	149,035	1.29	$416,723
Maine	Portland, ME	69,568	2.84	$540,162
Maryland	Frederick, MD	89,537	1.74	$456,779
Massachusetts	Somerville, MA	82,149	2.00	$899,942
Michigan	Grand Rapids, MI	200,117	1.25	$288,993
Minnesota	Rochester, MN	123,624	1.37	$328,754
Missouri	Springfield, MO	170,596	1.11	$235,181
Montana	Bozeman, MT	57,894	1.76	$704,794
Nevada	Sparks, NV	111,520	1.29	$517,167
New Hampshire	Concord, NH	44,674	1.36	$432,906
New Jersey	Edison, NJ	110,002	1.33	$623,764
New Mexico	Las Cruces, NM	116,998	1.56	$285,037
New York	Ithaca, NY	33,768	1.42	$265,000
North Carolina	Wake Forest, NC	56,764	4.77	$508,022
Ohio	Dublin, OH	49,456	1.52	$545,987
Oklahoma	Edmond, OK	99,040	1.50	$348,782
Oregon	Bend, OR	106,926	1.94	$719,428
Pennsylvania	Lancaster, PA	58,441	1.28	$330,200
South Carolina	Conway, SC	29,656	3.95	$282,240
South Dakota	Rapid City, SD	79,894	2.12	$352,204
Tennessee	Johnson City, TN	73,635	2.69	$282,216
Texas	San Marcos, TX	74,316	1.90	$308,030
Utah	St. George, UT	106,288	1.39	$511,457
Virginia	Reston, VA	63,226	1.50	$621,428
Washington	Bellingham, WA	95,860	1.51	$651,041
West Virginia	Charleston, WV	46,482	1.17	$159,866
Wisconsin	Green Bay, WI	106,311	1.27	$266,936
Wyoming	Cheyenne, WY	65,704	1.26	$374,675