Cities Americans Are Flocking To

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Florida had the highest increase in net migration nationwide, meaning more people moved into the state than moved out of it compared to all other states. At least two people that made the move to Florida recently aren’t happy about it. The two, employees of Disney, are suing the company , alleging it misrepresented its plans about a project that would move 2,000 jobs to the state. As a result, many employees from California moved to Florida -- only for the project to be canceled.

Disney employees aside, Florida continues to attract Americans from across the country, and its cities are among the top ones growing through net migration.

To determine the cities Americans are flocking to, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates program. Metropolitan statistical areas were ranked based on the percentage change in population due to net migration alone from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, and we included the top 35 cities. Data on median home value came from the Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community and figures are one-year estimates. Unemployment rates for April 2024 came from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and are not seasonally adjusted.

Among the cities on the list, the population grew through net migration by 1.7% or more in one year alone. And while the U.S. population grew by 0.49% from July 2022 to July 2023, the total population growth among the cities on the list ranges from 1.2% to 4.7%.

Natural change (births minus deaths) contributed 0.15% to population growth nationwide, and immigration contributed 0.34%. In the cities on the list, natural change contributed anywhere from -1.4% (meaning it had a negative effect on population growth) to 1.2%.

Of the 35 cities that relatively attracted the most residents, a whopping 15 are in Florida, including four of the top five. Next are five cities in South Carolina. (On the flip side, also see: Cities Americans Are Abandoning in Droves .)

Several factors determine the attractiveness of a city, including subjective factors such as weather, community, and vibrancy, and more objective factors such as jobs, cost of living, and housing affordability. In the majority of the cities on the list either the unemployment rate is lower than the 3.5% national rate (in April), or the median home value is lower than the national value of $320,900 in 2022. Still, in some cities, including No. 1 -- The Villages, Florida -- this is not the case and these cities continues to attract residents regardless.

Why Are We Covering This

Population growth comprises both natural change -- births minus deaths -- and net migration (people moving in minus people moving out). While some cities manage to grow mostly through natural change, the ability to attract new residents is often a sign of a positive economic environment among other things. When more residents choose to move in, it could further grow economic conditions in the area, while also alerting localities that services might need to expand. For people considering a move, the cities on the list may be already under consideration.

• Population change due to migration, 2022-2023: 1.69% (16,216)
• Migration breakdown, 2022-2023: international: +2,335; domestic: +13,881
• Total population change, 2022-2023: +16,562 or +1.73% (#41 fastest growth)
• Population change due to migration, 2020-2023: 5.22% (#41 fastest growth)
• Unemployment rate, April 2024: 2.7% (Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC)
• Median home value, 2022: $259,600 (Greenville-Anderson, SC)
• Total population, 2023: 975,480

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