According to a recent survey from Redfin, the number of Americans relocating to Florida, Texas, and other Sun Belt states decreased dramatically in 2024.
In 2024, Tampa saw the largest decrease in domestic migration among the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas, with a net influx of just over 10,000 individuals, less than one-third of the 35,000-person net inflow the previous year. Net inflow, which exclusively covers domestic moves, is the number of more Americans who relocate to a metro region than leave.
With a net inflow of about 13,000 residents in 2024, down from 35,000 the previous year, Dallas had the next-largest downturn. Atlanta is next, with a net outflow of about 2,000 in 2024—that is, 2,000 more Americans left the metro area than entered. In contrast, there was a net inflow of 17,000 the previous year.
The well-known American metropolises of Austin, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, San Antonio, and Fort Worth followed.
Top 10 Metros Where Net Domestic Migration Fell Most in 2024:
| U.S. Metro | Change in net domestic migration: 2023 to 2024 | Net domestic migration: 2024 | Net domestic migration: 2023 |
| Tampa, FL | -24,376 | 10,544 | 34,920 |
| Dallas | -22,302 | 12,927 | 35,229 |
| Atlanta | -18,466 | -1,803 | 16,663 |
| Houston | -18,221 | 21,240 | 39,461 |
| Miami | -16,781 | -67,418 | -50,637 |
| Orlando, FL | -15,578 | 779 | 16,357 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | -11,464 | -26,339 | -14,875 |
| San Antonio | -11,122 | 18,981 | 30,103 |
| Fort Worth, Texas | -9,557 | 11,623 | 21,180 |
| Austin, Texas | -8,239 | 13,980 | 22,219 |
Sun Belt Migration Sees Significant Moderation
Migration to the Sun Belt is declining for a number of reasons, especially in Florida and Texas:
Elevated living costs: In the past, cities like San Francisco and New York were thought to be more expensive than places like Tampa, FL, Dallas, and Austin, Texas. However, the difference in housing costs between Sun Belt metros and big-city job centers has now narrowed.
Natural disasters, high insurance costs make it less appealing to live in Florida: Moving to the Sunshine State is less attractive than it used to be because of the increasing frequency and intensity of climate disasters, like hurricanes. That has also resulted in skyrocketing insurance premiums and HOA fees, which exacerbates the rising cost of housing. The trend is similar in Texas.
Remote work: Now that many companies are requiring workers to come into the office, fewer people have the freedom to move—and some people who moved to the Sun Belt during the pandemic are returning to big cities.
Competition from more affordable places. Those who are able to relocate may be considering other parts of the country, like the Midwest or the Northeast, because they’re more affordable than the Sun Belt and less prone to natural disasters. Minneapolis and Indianapolis, where median home-sale and rent prices are lower than they are in places like Miami or Austin, are among the metro areas that saw migration rise in 2024.
High cost of moving, economic uncertainty: Home sales were slow across the U.S. in 2024 due to high mortgage rates, high sale prices and widespread economic uncertainty about inflation and layoffs. Many Americans chose to stay put rather than take on the financial risk of a major move.
“People used to move to Florida partly because they could get a deal. Now, people can’t afford to move here,” said Bryan Carnaggio, a Redfin Premier Agent in Florida. “The first questions from out-of-staters are, ‘How bad are the hurricanes? How high are insurance rates?’”
