AUSTIN, Texas — Growth in the Lone Star State’s capital city is predicted to slow in 2026 as movers trade out dense, urban hubs for more stable, mid-sized communities, according to a Nov. 5 study from moveBuddha.
Seach trends pulled from moveBudhha’s online moving cost calculator between 2019 and October 2025 predicted the top 25 most desirable places to live in 2026. Most movers are seeking to call mid-sized cities in the south or southwest home, with a large preference given to locations anchored by a university.
However, even for “cities that don’t fit the profile, many are still winning when they’re able to offer big-city amenities minus big-city friction,” the study said.
While interest in Austin has waned by 40% since 2019, suburbs such as Frisco are steadily attracting newcomers. The Dallas suburb, which had only one high school in 2002, has grown stably over the past six years. Now, the city is home to nine high schools and is predicted to welcome 1.29 move-ins for every move out next year.
Knoxville is predicted to be the most popular city in 2026, with an in-to-out move ratio of 1.61. Plano (20) and Dallas (25) are also expected to attract high mover interest during the new year with predicted ratios of 1.10 and 1.04, respectively.
Despite predictions for high in-bound moves, 11 of the top 25 cities show an overall decline in mover interest, including Dallas where interest fell by 18.83%.
In contrast, Fort Worth has increasingly drawn mover interest by 33%. Home to Texas Christian University, the college town offers cost advantages, over 100 miles of trail network, lower density and a more Western feel compared to Dallas, according to moveBuddha.
These findings analyzed data for a total of 79 U.S. cities with at least 20 in and 20 out move searches across the past five years. To forecast the most popular 2026 cities, moveBuddha used a random forest model trained on quarterly data from 2019 to 2025.
Of Texas cities included in the study, three ranked as the overall predicted top 25 cities for 2026. Interest in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Plano all fell.