Report: Americans Flee Blue State Cities for Greener Pastures in Red, Purple States

Americans are fleeing Democrat-run cities in blue states and relocating to more affordable metro areas, in part due to housing costs and inflation that are pricing them out of their origin cities, according to a report from the real estate brokerage site Redfin.

In its report, Redfin revealed that an all-time high of 32.6 percent of its users across the country “looked to move from one metro to another in the second quarter, up slightly from 32.3% in the first quarter and roughly 26% before the pandemic.”

Eight of the top ten cities with the highest outflows of residents are situated in states with Democrat governors, while the other two cities are Washington, DC, and Boston, Massachusetts. The Bay State’s governor, Charlie Baker, is a Republican, but Massachusetts has also gone blue in every presidential election since 1984.

The ten cities with the highest net outflows of residents are all led by Democrat or left-leaning mayors who won nonpartisan races, and include:

1.  San Francisco, CA – Net Outflow: 48,718 

2.  Los Angeles, CA – Net Outflow: 40,632

3.  New York, NY – Net Outflow: 35,165

4.  Washington, DC– Net Outflow: 24,492 

5.  Seattle, WA – Net Outflow: 18,594 

6.  Boston, MA – Net Outflow: 12,492 

7.  Detroit, MI – Net Outflow: 7,334

8.  Denver, CO – Net Outflow:  5,635 

9.  Chicago, IL – Net Outflow: 4,769

10.  Minneapolis, MN – Net Outflow: 2,795  

All cities listed have higher outflows than they did in the second quarter of 2021, except New York City, Denver, and San Francisco. In the report, Redfin deputy chief economist Taylor Marr stated: 

The typical home in San Francisco or San Jose now costs more than $1.5 million. Add in today’s 5%-plus mortgage rates and you have a sky-high monthly payment. Those factors, along with more companies giving employees the permanent flexibility to work remotely, are driving a larger portion of buyers to consider homes in other parts of the country. Someone who would have to stretch beyond their budget in Los Angeles may be able to comfortably afford a home in Phoenix or San Antonio.

Metros areas in red and purple states are among the cities with the highest net inflows in quarter two. Six of the top ten cities in terms of inflow are situated in either Florida or Texas, both of which have Republican governors, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX).

1. Miami, FL – Net Inflow: 12,614

2. Tampa, FL – Net Inflow: 9,841

3. Phoenix, AZ – Net Inflow: 9,730

4. Sacramento, CA – Net Inflow: 9,640

5. Las Vegas, NV – Net Inflow: 8,597

6. Cape Coral, FL – Net Inflow: 7,015

7. San Diego, CA – Net Inflow: 6,804

8. North Port, FL – Net Inflow: 6,626

9. San Antonio, TX – Net Inflow:  5,335

10. Dallas, TX – Net Inflow: 4,964

“Tampa is still attracting a lot of out-of-state homebuyers, coming from places like New York, who can get more for their money in Florida,” said Redfin manager in Tampa, Eric Auciello. 

Los Angeles is the top origin among new residents in four of the ten cities with the highest inflows, while Chicago is the primary place of origin in two of the metro areas. New York City and San Francisco, as well as Austin, Texas, and Orlando, Florida, comprise the other four. 

The report includes data from roughly two million Redfin users who looked at a minimum of 10 homes in a certain city or metro area, and the particular locale comprised 80 percent of the user’s searches.