These 5 cities have the highest demand in the country among out-of-staters — thanks to affordability and jobs

It started as a pandemic-era trend, but it’s showing no signs of slowing down: American heartland cities are drawing young professionals and families seeking a mix of relative affordability and ample job opportunities. 

Realtor.com® researchers looked at cross-market housing data for the third quarter of 2025 to identify heartland markets that attracted the most interest from home shoppers.  

Five metros scattered across the Midwest and South stood out for recording the strongest out-of-market buyer demand: Grand Rapids, MI; Nashville, TN; Oklahoma City; Austin, TX, and Birmingham, AL.  

“One of the primary drivers is affordable housing, which has become even more attractive amid today’s high home prices and elevated mortgage rates,” says Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu. “Many viewers of homes in heartland markets are coming from expensive coastal areas such as New York and the DC region. 

The importance of housing affordability cannot be overstated, particularly considering mortgage interest rates stuck above 6% and the ongoing economic uncertainty surrounding inflation and tariff policies. 

Another major draw is the strong labor market in many of the heartland boomtowns, which has attracted new businesses and an inflow of workers from across the US.

For example, in September, Nashville’s unemployment rate stood at 3% and Birmingham’s at 2.5%, both significantly below the national average of 4.5%.

“With industries advancing here in the tech and financial sector, companies are building major hubs here in the Nashville area and in outlying counties,” Lila McCann, managing broker at MW Real Estate Co. and Greater Nashville REALTORS® board member, tells Realtor.com. “Folks are coming for those jobs as well as our robust entertainment industry.”

Influx of newcomers boosts prices

The internal migration from major metros like Chicago, Dallas, and New York City to heartland hubs has sent prices soaring over the last six years—a period that included the COVID pandemic. 

In October, the typical home in Nashville carried an asking price of $536,739, up a staggering 45.1% compared with the same period six years ago, marking the largest gain among the five aforementioned markets. 

“Home prices are still catching up a bit from the low-interest rate boom when prices were driven up so quickly from 2020-2022, but overall, a steady growth year over year is still great,” says McCann, noting that Nashville currently boasts the healthiest housing supply she has seen in a long time.

The broker concedes, however, that affordability remains a challenge.

“Affordable housing is something Nashville has started to make some headway on, but in a city growing as quickly as ours, sometimes it feels like it’s not fast enough,” says McCann.  

Grand Rapids saw the second-biggest price increase across the leading heartland destinations, with the median list price there surging 44.6%, from $269,700 to $389,900. 

Austin and Oklahoma City experienced more modest gains of 36.3% and 26.5%, respectively. 

Meanwhile, homes in Birmingham appreciated the least during the six-year interval, rising just 15.4%, from $259,900 to $299,900, making it the most affordable market across the five ranked markets. 

For context, the national median list price rose 36.9% from October 2019 to October 2025.  

“Even with rapid price growth over the last six years, markets in the American heartland continue to be both relatively affordable and highly desirable,” says Realtor.com senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones. “Surging demand for these markets has pushed home prices higher, but most continue to see prices well below coastal metros.”

Where are homebuyers moving from?

Based on Realtor.com cross-market demand data, Grand Rapids—a flourishing regional hub that is home to manufacturing and food processing companies—commanded the highest share of views from out-of-market shoppers among the heartland powerhouses, at 67.7%, signaling a robust outside demand.

House hunters from Detroit accounted for the highest share of listing views in Grand Rapids, at 14.6%, followed by Indianapolis at 10.7%, and Washington, DC, at 8.6%.  

Nashville listings attracted 66.7% of their views from house hunters living outside the market, led by residents of Chicago (20.3%), Atlanta (4.9%), and New York City (4.9%).  

“We are noticing many relocating from major cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago because of the cost of living here,” explains McCann. “Comparatively, it is quite a bit lower, which means more bang for your buck when it comes to the housing market.” 

For example, the typical home in New York City cost over $762,000 in October, more than $220,000 higher than in Nashville.

McCann shares that she recently had a buyer who had moved to Nashville from Alabama for a job in finance at a large corporation headquartered in “Music City.”

“She was ready for a change of pace,” says the broker. “The hub for her employer was here and she wanted to take advantage of all that Nashville had to offer, as well as the quality of life.”

Nashville has plenty to offer newcomers, from world-class restaurants to a vibrant art scene and a bustling downtown.

“It truly is a great place to live,” says McCann. “The communities here are strong and hold a deep-rooted love for Tennessee and the people of Nashville.” 

In Oklahoma City and Austin, roughly 60% of online views came from shoppers in other areas, with Dallas at the top of the list for both markets.   

Austin in particular has transformed into a business juggernaut, drawing giants like Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, and Amazon.

Rounding out the top five list, for-sale homes in Birmingham saw roughly 59% of online traffic originating outside the metro, led by house hunters in Chicago (26%).

“Heartland home shoppers can find more bang for their buck without giving up economic opportunities in these areas,” says Jones.