The Sun Belt claimed 80% of the most popular move-in cities in 2026, up from 75% in 2025, according to PODS Moving Trends Report. Florida and Tennessee both appeared four times on the top 20 most popular states to move to.
The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-Wilmington, North Carolina, area claimed the top spot for move-ins for the fourth consecutive year, and Ocala, Florida, ranked second for the third straight year. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, climbed two spots to third for 2026.
Doubling the number of represented cities from 2025, Florida’s popularity reemerged this year and included Sarasota back into the rankings after falling off last year’s list.
Top 10 cities with the highest number of move-ins:
- Myrtle Beach, SC-Wilmington, NC (1st in 2025)
- Ocala, FL (2nd in 2025)
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (5th in 2025)
- Raleigh, NC (3rd in 2025)
- Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (4th in 2025)
- Charlotte, NC (6th in 2025)
- Boise, ID (7th in 2025)
- Knoxville, TN (8th in 2025)
- Sarasota, FL (unranked in 2025)
- Jacksonville, FL (10th in 2025)
“Our latest Moving Trends Report reinforces what we are seeing from American movers across the board. Affordability is now the primary driver behind where they choose to live,” says James Shively, chief operating officer at PODS.
“As economic uncertainty continues to shape decision-making, people are moving to Sun Belt states perceived to offer a more sustainable cost of living without sacrificing job opportunities, community, or quality of life. Persistent move-outs from high-cost metro areas underscore the growing pressure many households face, which we have seen time and time again in cities like Los Angeles and Miami, which continue to surface at the top of our move-out list.”
California Leads in Move-Outs for Fifth Consecutive Year
In contrast, California continues to see significant outmigration with seven cities on the exodus list. For the fifth consecutive year, Los Angeles claims the top spot for move-outs.
Other 2026 top move-out markets included South Florida; Northern California; Washington, D.C.; and Long Island, New York.
Top 10 cities with the highest number of move-outs:
- Los Angeles, CA (1st in 2025)
- South Florida (Miami area) (3rd in 2025)
- Northern California (San Francisco area) (2nd in 2025)
- Washington, D.C. (14th in 2025)
- Long Island, NY (Serving parts of NYC) (4th in 2025)
- Central Jersey, NJ (6th in 2025)
- Boston, MA (8th in 2025)
- Hudson Valley, NY (9th in 2025)
- Chicago, IL (7th in 2025)
- San Diego, CA (5th in 2025)
