MoveBuddha has released its fifth annual migration report, revealing which cities are the most popular nationwide.
The report uses proprietary data to figure out which places people are considering moving, giving more insight into what spots might be the biggest migration hubs in 2026 and beyond.
More specifically, the results were gathered by examining how many people were searching for moves into certain cities, as opposed to those searching for moves out.
After analyzing the data, researchers found some main themes when it comes to people’s interests:
Retirement Hubs Dominate — Myrtle Beach ranked No. 1 among cities, with several Florida cities coming in close behind.
D.C. Drops Low — Washington, D.C. had the biggest drop in move interest in 2025, largely due to federal job losses.
Least Popular States — California maintained its position at No. 50, with New jersey and Connecticut coming close behind.
Most Popular States — On the opposite end of the spectrum, South Carolina was the top move-to destination, with Idaho and North Carolina coming close behind.
[BELOW: Florida’s safest cities are revealed in latest ranking]
Of the retirement hubs that topped this year’s list, several were from the Sunshine State, including Ocala, which placed at No. 2.
“Ocala, FL, wasn’t the nation’s favorite in 2024, but this year, its in-to-out ratio has risen 74%, from 2.39 to an astronomical 3.09. Maybe that’s because it has landed on lists showcasing how to retire on a strict budget, or because its prices remain affordable compared to other Florida cities.
#2 Port St. Lucie, FL, and #3 Palm Coast, FL, have also seen 70%+ rises in their move ratios. In the case of Port St. Lucie, that’s skyrocketed its ranking up 113 places. What do all three of Florida’s most popular have in common? They’re retirement havens, affordable compared to nearby alternatives, and off the beaten path — none are truly commutable to Florida’s largest economic centers.”
moveBuddha, “2025-2026 Migration Report”
Meanwhile, the top 25 most popular cities included in this year’s report were revealed to be as follows:
RankCitySearches for moves in-to-out1Myrtle Beach, SC328 in to 100 out2Ocala, FL309 in to 100 out3The Villages, FL277 in to 100 out4Greenville, SC227 in to 100 out5Palm Coast, FL214 in to 100 out6St. Augustine, FL197 in to 100 out7Wilmington, NC197 in to 100 out8Knoxville, TN183 in to 100 out9Huntsville, AL180 in to 100 out10Kissimmee, FL176 in to 100 out11Winston-Salem, NC174 in to 100 out12Chattanooga, TN172 in to 100 out13Port St. Lucie, FL167 in to 100 out14Georgetown, TX166 in to 100 out15Santa Fe, NM165 in to 100 out16Asheville, NC163 in to 100 out17Greensboro, NC162 in to 100 out18Franklin, TN155 in to 100 out19Cumming, GA153 in to 100 out20Raleigh, NC152 in to 100 out21Fort Collins, CO149 in to 100 out22Cary, NC146 in to 100 out23Bellingham, WA144 in to 100 out24Boulder, CO144 in to 100 out25Daytona Beach, FL144 in to 100 out
On the flip side, the cities where people wanted to leave the most were determined to be the following:
RankCitySearches for moves in-to-out1Bakersfield, CA48 in to 100 out2Long Beach, CA48 in to 100 out3Riverside, CA54 in to 100 out4Fresno, CA58 in to 100 out5Memphis, TN59 in to 100 out6Oceanside, CA60 in to 100 out7Fairfax, VA62 in to 100 out8Ft. Lauderdale, FL63 in to 100 out9Manchester, NH63 in to 100 out10North Las Vegas, NV64 in to 100 out11Fremont, CA65 in to 100 out12Alexandria, VA65 in to 100 out13Omaha, NE65 in to 100 out14San Diego, CA65 in to 100 out15Newark, NJ66 in to 100 out16Dayton, OH68 in to 100 out17Pompano Beach, FL68 in to 100 out18Baton Rouge, LA69 in to 100 out19Overland Parks, KS69 in to 100 out20Syracuse, NY70 in to 100 out21Santa Clara, CA70 in to 100 out22Arlington, VA70 in to 100 out23Irvine, CA71 in to 100 out24St. Louis, MO72 in to 100 out25Tempe, AZ72 in to 100 out
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