Migration in the First Half of 2021

Dusty Rhodes • August 17, 2021

A year into the pandemic, Americans continue to move to suburbs and small cities


Our previous study indicated that suburbs and small cities were clearly the winners of migration during the first year of the pandemic. With one in three adults working remotely and schools offering virtual learning, people sought out bigger houses with bigger yards for their kids to play in and office space for them to work. But, where do people move a year into the pandemic? Are suburbs and small cities gaining even more movers? As companies look beyond the pandemic, many are deciding whether to bring employees back to offices or allow them to work remotely and move away permanently.


Thus, to better understand the latest migration trends, we updated our analysis conducted last December using the United States Postal Service® change-of-address data. The current analysis covers relocations across the United States during the period January through June of 2021.


Findings


Overall, fewer people moved in the first half of 2021 compared to a year earlier. That’s normal. Remember that when the pandemic hit our country last March, millions of people "panic-moved," leaving their homes in urban centers. Nevertheless, people are no longer rushing to relocate due to the pandemic as millions of Americans are already vaccinated. Moreover, the current study responds to the question of whether or not people are permanently leaving their city homes. According to the data, it seems that people continue to move away from urban centers while small towns and rural areas attract even more movers.


Small towns gain even more people

Net migration gains by urbanization level


Urban-rural differences in migration have always been analyzed, as they provide insight about potential population shifts across the country. Any evolving pattern of migratory behavior can have many policy implications for the country. There has been ample talk about people moving away from big cities and showing interest in less crowded areas. Indeed, even a year after the pandemic, people continue to move to small cities as many of them telework. The National Association of REALTORS® estimated the share of inbound moves by urbanization level.


To begin with, we are seeing that urban areas continue to lose people. A share of inbound moves lower than 50% translates to more people leaving than moving to the area for the specific period. According to the data, urban areas had more people moving out than in while the share of inbound moves fell even further in 2021 compared to a year earlier. Specifically, the share of inbound moves for urban areas was 48.5% in the first six months of 2021 compared to 48.6% during the same period a year earlier.


While more people are leaving urban areas, we are seeing that rural areas had the highest share of inbound moves in 2021 at 54.6% followed by micropolitan areas1 with a low commuting flow (53.8%) and small towns with a high commuting flow (53.2%). Meanwhile, micropolitan areas and small towns are gaining even more movers compared to a year earlier. Specifically, the share of inbound moves rose from 52.3% to 53.8% in micropolitan areas with low commuting flow; and, from 52.5% to 53.2% in small towns with high commuting flow. While home prices reach new record highs, affordability seems to be one of the primary motivations for this trend. A huge draw for these smaller towns is that the cost of housing consumes a much smaller chunk of people's salaries as they are able to find bigger homes for their families. See here how inbound compare to outbound moves by urbanization level:

Net migration gains by metropolitan level


After comparing inflows and outflows for each metropolitan area, we also identified the metro areas with the most migration gains in the first half of 2021. As the data shows, when people don’t move to more affordable areas, they choose to move to a home near the ocean or with a nice mountain view. For instance, Barnstable Town – one of the top vacation home areas - had 63% inbound moves although the median home price is $570,000. The same with the Portland metro area in Maine.

We also compared the inbound moves in the first half of 2021 with those of a year earlier. We actually are seeing that big cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Boston were among the areas with the most year-over-year inbound gains. Nevertheless, bear in mind that a year earlier people were fleeing from these big cities due to the pandemic. Thus, year-over-year comparisons of inbound moves may be a misleading indicator for migration trends due to the base effect as a relatively smaller number of people moved to these areas last year. Apparently, as many companies have already required their employees to go back to the office, more people are moving back to big cities.


We went one step further and analyzed where families, individuals and also businesses are moving in 2021. What did we find? As expected, families favor small cities versus individuals who are moving to urban centers.


Families moved to small cities


Nearly 30% of the inbound moves in small towns and micropolitan centers made by a family compared to 24% in metropolitan areas. Meanwhile, rural areas are attracting more families as the share of inbound moves rose to 22.8% in 2021 from 22.0% a year earlier.

At the local level, Florida seems to be the favorite destination for families, areas such as Naples, Cape Coral and Sarasota. Among the following metro areas, more than 30% of the inbound moves came from families. While 62% of homebuyers are married couples,2 this has many implications about the local real estate market. To put it simply, the following areas are expected to see an uptick of home sales as people typically buy a home when they start a family because they want to raise their kids in a stable and safe environment. The good news is that construction is picking up with most of these areas building more homes than in the last 20 years. For instance, in the Sarasota, FL metro area, they are currently issuing twice the single-family building permits that they issued on average in the last 20 years. In the Provo Orem, UT metro area the number of single-family building permits is 150% above the historical average. As a result, these areas are more affordable with great opportunities for families to purchase a home.

Individuals moved to large metropolitan areas


As the data shows, 70% of the inbound movers in urban centers were individuals, while fewer individuals moved to a smaller city in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The table below shows the share of inbound moves for individuals by urbanization level. We are seeing that their share dropped in every area which is smaller or with a lower commuting flow than an urban area. Thus, urban centers are still the most attractive areas for individuals.


At the local level, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, and San Jose were some of the most popular destinations for individuals. In the following large metro areas, more than 70% of the inbound movers were individuals. As homebuyers need to spend more than $5,000 every month for their home loan in San Francisco and San Jose, families who are priced out from these markets are moving to more affordable areas.

Businesses moved away from urban centers



As people move to suburbs and small cities, businesses do too. After comparing inflows and outflows for businesses by urbanization level, we are seeing that urban centers experienced migration losses. This means that more businesses decided to move out from an urban center than to move in.


This urban-rural migration trend has undoubtedly had an impact on businesses across the country. Since a large number of office workers continue to telework and move away from urban centers, there is a significant decrease in traffic to downtown business areas. Restaurants and shops who serve downtown workers still report a decline in customers. As a result, many of these businesses decided to move away from downtowns and relocate to suburbs and rural areas. According to the data, the share of inbound moves of businesses was 47% in urban centers compared to 65% in small towns and rural areas. With both residents and businesses moving out of the urban areas, it seems that new business opportunities will present themselves in small and rural areas.

At the local level, we are seeing that most businesses moved to North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Nebraska, Florida, Connecticut, and Tennessee. It seems that business owners decided to relocate to areas where there is a low cost of living and a corporate–friendly tax structure that could help them save money post-pandemic. In the meantime, for example, Charlotte, NC; Jacksonville, FL; and Riverside, CA are among the biggest financial centers across the country. As residents and businesses move to the following areas, expect local real estate activity to be even stronger this year.

While COVID-19 cases are currently rising due to the spread of Delta variant, people will likely continue to limit their social interactions, especially families with unvaccinated members. It would be very interesting to see how this urban-rural migration trend will evolve in the second half of 2021. Stay tuned.



1 According to the U.S. Census, each micropolitan statistical area must have at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 population.

2 2021 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Survey, NAR


Source: National Association of Realtors


Dusty Rhodes Properties is the Best Realtor in Myrtle Beach! We do everything in our power to help you find the home of your dreams. With experience, expertise, and passion, we are the perfect partner for you in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We love what we do and it shows. With more than 22 years of experience in the field, we know our industry like the back of our hands. There’s no challenge too big or too small, and we dedicate our utmost energy to every project we take on. We search thousands of the active and new listings from Aynor, Carolina Forest, Conway, Garden City Beach, Longs, Loris, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, and Surfside Beach real estate listings to find the hottest deals just for you!

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Before You Fall in Love with a House, Do This First.

By Dusty Rhodes • April 20, 2026
Be honest. Have you started looking at homes online yet? If you have, it’s already time to get pre-approved . Because here’s what not enough people know. If buying a home is on your radar – even if it’s more of a someday plan than a right now plan – you don’t want to wait until later on in the process to tackle this step. No matter what you’ve heard, pre-approval isn’t about commitment . It’s about clarity . And here are the two big ways pre-approval sets you up for success. You Know Your Numbers Up Front During the pre-approval process, a lender will walk through your finances and tell you what you can borrow based on your income, debts, credit score , and more. And once you have that number, your search becomes a lot more focused. With a mortgage pre-approval, you know what you can borrow, so it’s easier to figure out your ideal price point, and what you can actually afford. And that clarity is key. Because if you just start browsing online and just guess at your price point, you run the risk of falling for a house that’s outside of your price range – or missing out on ones that aren’t. You want this number to be clearly defined before your search. Here’s why. You Can Move Quickly When You Find the One This is how a lot of home searches go today. You scroll through listings just to see what’s out there, and then it happens. You fall in love with something you’ve seen online. If you’re already pre-approved? You’re probably in great shape. But if you’re not… Instead of being able to jump on that house and quickly make an offer, you have to scramble to get a lender, gather the financial documents, and then submit the necessary pre-approval paperwork first. And while you’re waiting to hear back from your lender, someone else who’s more prepared could beat you to the house. As Bankrate explains: “The best time to get a mortgage preapproval is before you start looking for a home. If you find a home you love but don’t have a preapproval in hand, you likely won’t have time to get preapproved before you need to make an offer...” And that’s avoidable, with the right prep. Because while you can’t control when the right home shows up, you can be ready for it. Think of it like showing up to the starting line with your shoes tied and your warm-up done – while everyone else is still looking for parking. It’s not about rushing your timeline. It’s about removing the delay between finding the right home and being able to move on it. One Thing You Need To Know About Pre-Approvals Speaking of timing, pre-approvals do have an expiration date. So, be sure to ask your lender how long it’s good for. The Mortgage Reports explains: “ Mortgage preapproval letters are typically valid for anywhere from 30 to 90 days. However, a preapproval can be updated and extended if the lender re-checks your information.” Doing the right prep and knowing this information can make the whole process a lot smoother. You don’t have to be ready to buy to be ready to buy. Getting pre-approved doesn’t mean you’re committing to buy right now. It just means you’ve taken a step to understand your numbers. And when a home catches your attention, you’re prepped and good to go. Bottom Line Ask yourself this: if your perfect home popped up tomorrow, would you be ready to make a move? If the answer is no and you want to buy, it may be time to get pre-approved. You don’t feel behind before your search even officially kicks off.

How to Form New Habits To Keep Your Home Clutter-Free

By Dusty Rhodes • April 13, 2026
Tired of an untidy house? Try a new approach by adopting habits that automatically keep your home orderly Keeping our homes orderly and free of clutter is a struggle for many of us, especially if we’re not naturally organized . If you fall into this category, there’s definitely hope — you just may need to change your habits. Before you roll your eyes and shrug off that idea as impossible, let me tell you what has helped me keep a tidier home. I tried a concept called the “habit loop,” which is described in The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, the best-selling book by Charles Duhigg. The habit loop consists of three steps: cue, routine and reward. The cue is a reminder that initiates the new behavior. The routine is the behavior itself. The reward is the benefit you get from implementing the new behavior. Duhigg says that during the first two weeks of developing a new habit, it’s important to give yourself a treat that you really enjoy right after you complete the new behavior. This will teach your brain to enjoy the new routine. While I’m a professional organizer and really do enjoy decluttering and organizing, I also have an extremely busy life and like to do a lot of other things besides organizing my house. Using the habit loop really helped me get into daily, automatic tidying habits. Perhaps this approach could offer a fresh, effective way for you too to conquer clutter in your home. Here’s how I use it. Tackle Your Own Spaces First If you want to form new no-clutter habits, it’s usually easiest to begin by dealing with your own possessions in spaces you don’t share with all family members. Personally, I live with some wonderful but messy people, so if you’re in the same situation, I recommend you start with your bedroom and bathroom. Duhigg says there’s no precise time frame for how long it takes to form a new habit, but other researchers report it takes 21 to 66 days or even longer. Personally, I needed 21 to 45 days of the habit loop to form a new habit, depending on what the routine was. After that, the behavior became automatic. 1. Make your bed. No matter how messy the bedroom is, a made bed makes it neater. To create a cue for making the bed, pick something you do without fail every day, such as turning off your alarm. It’s best to do the new behavior as soon as possible after the reminder. (I sometimes get distracted if I don’t make my bed right after my cue, and then the bed might remain unmade all day.) After you make the bed — or, for that matter, after you do any new task you’re trying to make habitual — be sure to reward yourself. Your reward can be as simple as a silent “Good job!” you tell yourself or as ritualistic as brewing your morning cup of coffee and then enjoying sipping it. Just remember to give yourself a compliment or perk for working toward your tidy-house goal. 2. Clear your bathroom counters. Brushing my teeth has become the cue I use to trigger my habit of clearing my bathroom counters both morning and night. Each morning after I brush, I put away my makeup, hair products, blow dryer and toothpaste. Then I wipe off the water that has collected on the countertops. I repeat the routine at night, putting away my lotion and other nighttime beauty products. Then I congratulate myself on a job well done. Though I didn’t get it right the first few days, within 21 days I knew I’d managed to develop this habit when I automatically began clearing the counters after brushing. For me, coming home to a clean bathroom is the greatest reward! 3. Put away your attire after wearing it. On most days I wear two different outfits, one for work and one for exercise. If I’m not paying attention to where I put my things, a mess can quickly build up. So I decided that removing my clothes would be the cue to place dirty clothes in the hamper and those I’ll wear again neatly in the closet. If you share a closet with a partner who doesn’t want to participate in this routine, you have a couple of options: You can put your partner’s clothes away or leave them out, knowing that at least half the mess is put away. Since nagging or brooding rarely changes other people’s habits, it might be better to give yourself a reward for cleaning up your own mess and move on. Tackle Common Rooms Next As you move into the common areas of your home, prepare for potential barriers to establishing tidy habits since you may be dealing with other family members’ messes. While this can be frustrating, if family members aren’t cooperative I recommend simply focusing on clearing your own mess. Hopefully, your new habits will eventually rub off on your family. If not, well, your home will still be less cluttered than it was before your new habits. 4. Unbury coffee and end tables. Your cue for clearing the tables in your living room could be turning off the television or putting down the book you were reading. Remove cups, glasses and bowls from the room’s flat surfaces and place them in the dishwasher. Put magazines back in their rack or recycle those you’ve finished reading. Place remote controls in a basket next to the television. Put away books and papers and anything else left cluttering the room. Then congratulate yourself. Your living room will look great in the morning when you start your day. 5. Clear the kitchen counters. Mail, school papers, ear buds, cellphones, vitamins, dog treats, receipts, tissue boxes, keys and more can litter kitchen countertops, making food prep difficult. Plus, this type of miscellaneous debris makes the kitchen look messy and disorganized even if cooking surfaces are cleared. My personal cue for clearing my countertops each night is closing my dishwasher door after I load it. I then scan all the miscellany on the counters and quickly sort and put everything in its place. This may take me an extra 10 minutes, but by doing it each evening I find it is easier to keep the counters clear during the day. I then reward myself with a small piece of chocolate since this habit is much harder to implement than others! My other reward is coming downstairs in the morning to a clean kitchen. 6. Tidy your front hall. I walk through my front hallway on the way to bed and use the walk as my cue to tidy up the space. We have a hall closet where I can store shoes and coats, and each family member has a basket in the closet for personal items. If you don’t have a front hall closet, you might consider storing catchall baskets under a decorative table. I tell myself, “Great job!” before I head off to bed. It’s wonderful having a clutter-free front hall, especially when unexpected visitors stop by. Develop New Habits on What You Bring Into Your Home 7. Manage your mail. Mail is a major source of clutter in many homes. To cut down on the volume, you might want to receive bills and magazines electronically. There are also tools available for unsubscribing from catalogs and unsolicited credit card offers; visit DMAchoice.org or Catalogchoice.org for more information. Even with these steps, mail still has a way of piling up and causing a mess. One relatively easy habit to develop is sorting your mail before you enter the house. I collect my mail from the mailbox and walk directly to my recycling bin, where I immediately place advertising circulars. I then open unfamiliar envelopes (which usually are ads) and toss them in the bin. Since I receive most of my statements electronically, I’m left with very little to bring inside. Remaining items go into an inbox for incoming mail. I then give myself a pat on the back for preventing clutter from entering my house. 8. Be intentional with your purchases. Another habit to consider implementing is being mindful of your purchases. I’ve developed the habit of thinking seriously about the clutter factor of every purchase before buying. As I reach for my credit card, I am reminded to stop and consider whether I already own something that will suffice. I also think about where I’m going to store the item or what I’ll get rid of to make room for the new purchase. For example, when I’m considering a new pair of pants, I ask myself what I have in my closet that might be similar. If I already have too many similar items and don’t want to part with any I already own, I skip the new purchase. I use a similar approach when considering household and kitchen items. My purchases are always intentional because I’m working hard to live in a clutter-free home. I deserve a big pat on the back for working on this habit. I’m not only reducing clutter but I’m also leaving more money in my bank account at the end of the month to spend on things I truly want or need. 

What Stays With the House When You Move?

By Dusty Rhodes • March 30, 2026
When you’re selling your home , it is natural to assume that anything you can safely remove is yours to keep—like the light fixtures you painstakingly cleaned and repaired, or the appliances you bought last year. But the truth is, the buyer may want some of those items, too, and sometimes it's better to part ways with these items for the sake of the sale. Rather than keep everything, you should decide what you'd like to keep and what you'll leave behind as a way to entice buyers into making an offer, particularly in today's market where buyers are holding more of the cards than ever. What stays with the house? Generally, certain items stay with the house when you sell and move. Some features may seem obvious, but the truth is, you're probably expected to leave more behind than you think. Some of these items can include: Built-ins: Built-in bookshelves, benches, and pull-out furniture generally stay inside the home. Landscaping: Trees, shrubs, and any flowers planted in the ground should stay in the yard. Wall mounts: If you have TV wall mounts or picture mounts that might damage the wall if you remove them, it is a good idea to leave them in place when you move. Custom-fit items: If you have custom-made curtains , plantation shutters, or blinds, leave them on the windows and doors. Hardware : If you upgraded the knobs and drawer pulls in the bathrooms and kitchen, you should either leave those behind or install replacements before you move. Alarm systems : Wireless alarm systems are designed to be removed. Otherwise, leave the alarm monitoring station attached and either relocate or cancel the monitoring service. Smoke detectors : Smoke detectors and sprinkler systems should stay in the house, especially if you plan to move before selling the house. What can you take? While you’re expected to leave some items behind, in general your belongings are yours to keep. Here are some examples: Patio furniture, lawn equipment, and play sets : If you have a wooden swing set in the backyard and a bistro table on the front porch, take those items with you. Appliances : Some lenders require that a home have an oven installed before approving a loan, but for all other appliances, it's up to you to decide what you will take and what you will offer as part of the home. Some light fixtures : Generally, homeowners leave light fixtures behind, but if you’re attached to a certain fixture, you can make arrangements with the buyer to take it. Built-in kitchen tools : If you can safely remove a mounted spice rack or the pasta arm, you can take it with you. Rugs, basic curtains, wreaths : Small decor items like rugs or curtain rods that can be safely removed can be taken. What should you consider leaving? Some of your personal items can be used to help sell your house—or increase the asking price. Before you take everything just to take it, consider offering some hot items like the following: Appliances : Homeowners, especially new homeowners, don’t always have their own appliances. Many buyers would be more likely to place an offer on a home if it came fully stocked with appliances. Custom swing and play sets : If you have a swing set or playhouse your children have outgrown and you notice a potential buyer has children, offer to include the item with the deal. Kitchen built-ins : Built-in spice racks, pantry organization, and windowsill shelves can really help sell a kitchen. Consider offering the items to an interested buyer. Light fixtures, curtains, rugs, and other upgrades : If you’ve upgraded the light fixtures or have custom rugs in the entryway, a buyer may be willing to increase his or her offer to keep those items in the home.  If you’re not sure what would entice a buyer, ask your real estate agent to provide suggestions. Don't have an agent yet? Here's how to find a real estate agent in your area.