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U.S. Cities that Americans Move To

Which metro areas in the U.S. gained the greatest number of people via domestic migration between 2010–2020?
This measures the number of Americans who moved in minus the number who moved out
Source: U.S. Census
This quiz is the opposite
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: May 5, 2021
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First submittedMay 5, 2021
Times taken13,124
Average score60.0%
Rating4.28
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Gain
Metro Area
507,000
Dallas / Fort Worth
483,000
Phoenix
343,000
Austin
334,000
Tampa
287,000
Houston
270,000
Atlanta
260,000
Charlotte
240,000
San Antonio
215,000
Las Vegas
208,000
Denver
Gain
Metro Area
195,000
Orlando
178,000
Nashville
165,000
Raleigh
164,000
Sarasota / Bradenton
147,000
Jacksonville
146,000
Seattle
145,000
Fort Myers
138,000
Myrtle Beach
130,000
Portland
125,000
Riverside / San Bernardino
+4
Level ∞
May 5, 2021
Maybe buy real estate in Myrtle Beach? There were only 376,000 people in the metro area in 2010, but they gained 138,000 more via domestic migration alone.

Note: Looking at the data more, it may be that this may be explained by people moving for retirement.

+5
Level 55
May 5, 2021
So San Bernardino and Los Angeles are relatively close to each other, so why is it that so many people move TO San Bernardino, and away from LA?
+22
Level 82
May 5, 2021
Because it’s less expensive to live in Riverside/San Bernardino than LA.
+2
Level 58
Jul 1, 2021
As someone who lived in Riverside for about 5 years, it's very true, it's a lot cheaper to live out there for sure.
+9
Level 87
May 5, 2021
Also, they're clearly flooding into Florida while flooding out of Miami. Actually, Florida IS literally flooding.
+3
Level 57
Jul 1, 2021
living in Orlando, so much new housing, so much.... it's honestly scary
+1
Level 57
Feb 17, 2023
in Palm Bay, i feel ya man. there are so many people moving here
+3
Level 88
May 6, 2021
I wonder if Los Angles was combined with San Bernardino/Riverside, if the total net influx would be near the top. Much of LA's "loss" is just people moving to the exurbs.
+2
Level ∞
May 7, 2021
No. Los Angeles has a loss more than 5 times greater than Riverside's gain. Not to mention that the state as a whole is losing population despite massive international immigration. Americans really are leaving Southern California in large numbers.
+3
Level 71
Jul 1, 2021
I thought San Bernardino and Riverside were part of LA metro area?
+4
Level 73
May 5, 2021
I'm surprised Sacramento isn't on here. It seems like there is nonstop housing construction in every direction.
+4
Level 92
May 6, 2021
Not surprised at Phoenix. We retired to this area seven years ago and we already don't recognize some parts of our town due to the exploding development - commercial as well as residential. Just as the climate grows hotter and AZ water supplies get tighter and tighter. Now wondering why we're here.
+14
Level ∞
May 7, 2021
When Phoenix gets too crowded, you can move to Idaho. When Idaho gets too crowded, Wyoming. And if Wyoming gets too crowded, Mongolia I suppose.

Mongolia: The last best place.

+4
Level 51
May 8, 2021
My dream house would be located in a Rural Place. Preferably Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota. I'll point out Idaho because I watched a splendid documentary on the state not too long ago.
+7
Level 55
May 11, 2021
I respectfully disagree, because Rural Areas generally have less Job Opportunities, and the nearest house might be a half hour away. I would want to live in a suburb just like the one I live in now, except maybe in a metro area with a slightly better reputation, like Seattle.
+5
Level 62
May 11, 2021
My dream house would be a high-rise condo in the middle of a city, but unless I somehow become a millionaire, that's not gonna happen, so I guess i'll stick to the suburbs.
+3
Level 72
May 16, 2021
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and North Dakota are best for militia members.
+3
Level 70
May 17, 2021
Then there's Outer Mongolia. I'm not really sure where that is but I guess that's kinda the point.
+4
Level 62
Jul 1, 2021
No need to go to such a cold and distant place as Mongolia. There's plenty of space in Finland.
+3
Level 71
Jul 1, 2021
I was just gonna comment on this. Mongolia seems like a nice place overall, but isn't it frigid? This quiz says it's, on average, the third coldest country in the world. And unlike Canada and Russia, where most of the population lives in the somewhat warmer areas, Mongolia seems uniformly cold everywhere. Thanks, but no.
+3
Level 37
Jul 1, 2021
I was in Mongolia during the summer and it was really nice, felt warmer than the summers here in Ireland. It will get very cold in the winter though.
+1
Level 89
Jul 2, 2021
Then half of Mongolia's 3 million people jam into Ulan Bator anyways....
+2
Level 92
May 20, 2021
Found this one significantly harder than the one from which cities people are leaving. Thankfully my city isn't on this list yet, though it feels like we're being invaded by Californians!
+2
Level 69
May 29, 2022
bruh. You should wish your city was on here, that means your economy is booming.
+1
Level 57
Jun 6, 2023
-natural beauty of the city being wiped out

-job opportunities become more scarce

-rapidly rising costs of living

economy aint everything

+4
Level 67
Jun 1, 2021
Wow, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. Who knew? ;)
+3
Level 54
Jul 1, 2021
Happy to see Jax on here. Lots of FL trash talk (understandably), but lots of good areas to move to for sure.
+3
Level 62
Jul 1, 2021
Yeah that’s so unfair to trash talk Jacksonville just for being floridian. Everyone knows it’s really just south georgia
+3
Level 71
Jul 1, 2021
Being Scandinavian and not liking it being too hot, I think Denver would be the only place I wouldn't melt..
+2
Level 69
May 29, 2022
There's plenty of places in the east or midwest that get plenty cold. Chicago, NYC, Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, etc.

Denver is not even very cold.

+4
Level 72
Jul 1, 2021
I typed in Cape Coral, that should be accepted for Fort Myers, by the metrics you are using (similar to Bradenton, Sarasota)
+2
Level 71
Dec 15, 2022
Yep. I live in Fort Myers. Everybody in SWFL knows that Cape Coral is a good bit more populous - more than twice as populous, actually, even though FM is the county seat.

Quizmaster, please see here: It's in the first paragraph. "Cape Coral" should also be accepted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_County,_Florida

+2
Level 72
Jul 1, 2021
So many of these places are going to be excruciatingly hot and dry or getting pounded by rising seas in the not too distant future.

I have a feeling that properties in the northern rust belt states and lake regions are going to explode once it becomes clear that the sun belt will eventually be uninhabitable.

+3
Level 67
Jul 1, 2021
I knew for a fact that Dallas is #1 because a friend who lives there has mentioned it, but I seriously cannot understand why. It's such a dull place. I understand why people are moving to Texas generally, but Dallas...no. Even the people I know who come from there don't have much to say about it. Go to Austin.
+1
Level 57
Jul 2, 2021
Austin is too expensive, while Dallas is pretty cheap.

I don’t live in Texas but that’s the impression I’ve got.

+1
Level 54
Jul 2, 2021
You are correct. There is still affordable housing in Dallas/Ft. Worth, but it's pretty much non-existent at this point in Austin, at least not in the city proper.
+1
Level 71
Jul 2, 2021
I have a cousin who just moved to Dallas for a job opportunity. That seems to be a big thing that draws people to Dallas, even if it is a "dull" city (although having never been there myself, I don't know whether or not I would agree with that).
+1
Level 65
Jul 7, 2021
It's dull, but relatively cheap (this is changing fast) and it's very easy to get a job here.
+1
Level 54
Jul 2, 2021
Can confirm with Austin, I grew up there and the city has doubled in size since I was a kid..and that's just city, not counting the metro area.
+1
Level 56
Jul 3, 2021
As a South Carolinian, I'm a little surprised that Myrtle Beach made it on here. I knew that the general trend in migration has been to move to the Sun Belt (i.e. the southeast and southwest), but I didn't think too many people were moving to South Carolina. It makes sense, though, given how Myrtle is a popular destination for retirees
+2
Level 73
Oct 12, 2021
Air conditioning seems like a pretty consequential invention...
+1
Level 69
May 29, 2022
Pretty surprised about Seattle.