As housing costs soar and remote work policies shift, many Americans are leaving major cities behind in search of more affordable places to live. A recent Realtor.com report reveals that rising unemployment and sky-high housing prices are pushing residents out of major metros such as New York, Chicago and Boston.
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“Affordability remains a primary driver of home searches,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a press release. “Americans continue to take a broader view of where they can live, often looking beyond their current metro areas in hopes of stretching their dollar and improving their lifestyle.”
Here are the 10 metro areas that saw the steepest drop in local interest, based on the share of out-of-market home searches in Q2 2025.
Also see where people leaving New York are going.
San Jose, California
- Also includes: Sunnyvale and Santa Clara
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 93.7%
Find Out: How Much House Does $300K, $400K and $500K Buy You in Every State?
Washington, D.C.
- Also includes: Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 86.4%
Explore More: 20 Cities Where Home Prices Are Expected To Crash in the Next 12 Months
Seattle
- Also includes: Tacoma and Bellevue, Washington
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 80.5%
Salt Lake City
- Also includes: Murray, Utah
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 77%
Stockton, California
- Also includes: Lodi
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 72.9%
Durham, North Carolina
- Also includes: Chapel Hill
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 72.6%
See More: 10 Cities Where Home Prices Are Expected To Skyrocket in the Next 12 Months
Chicago
- Also includes: Naperville and Elgin, Illinois
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 72.6%
Denver
- Also includes: Aurora and Centennial, Colorado
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 72.1%
Boston
- Also includes: Cambridge and Newton, Massachusetts
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 72%
New York City
- Also includes: Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey
- Share of out-of-market home searches: 71.7%
Editor’s note: Data was sourced from Realtor.com and reflects Q2 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Cities Americans Are Fleeing in Search of More Affordable Homes
