Migrants Out of Expensive West Coast Metros Flocked to Portland, Oregon in Q4 2019

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Portland, Oregon regained a spot in the top 10 list of metro areas with the highest net inflow of Redfin users, coming in at seventh after falling out of the list in Q1 of 2019. Nashville was also a new addition to the top 10 this month at number 10. San Diego and Charlotte both fell out of the top 10. A net inflow means more people are looking to move in than leave, while a net outflow means there are more people looking to leave than people looking to move in.

Phoenix moved back into the number one spot in the fourth quarter after slipping to third place in the third quarter. Boston’s reign at number one was short-lived: after one quarter at the top it fell to ninth place.

At just $400,000, Portland has one of the most affordable median home prices among major West Coast cities, which makes it an attractive location for inbound residents from other more expensive cities across the west coast such as San Francisco (median price $1.32 million), Seattle ($572,500) and Los Angeles ($649,000).

“The ability to work remotely is a huge factor in people relocating, especially within the same time zone,” said Portland Redfin agent Megan Warren. “I just met with a homebuyer who is moving here from Oakland in the spring. Working remotely is allowing him to sell his condo in a less desirable part of the Bay Area for over $500,000 and buy a serious upgrade in space, safety, and neighborhood in the Portland area.”

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Table: Top 10 Metros by Net Inflow of Users and Their Top Origins

Rank Metro* Net Inflow 2019 Q4† Net Inflow 2018 Q4 Portion of Searches from Users Outside the Metro 2019 Q4 Portion of Searches from Users Outside the Metro 2018 Q4 Top Origin Top Out-of-State Origin
1 Phoenix, AZ 6,509 5,254 33.9% 33.1% Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA
2 Sacramento, CA 5,675 5,988 44.1% 42.3% San Francisco, CA Seattle, WA
3 Las Vegas, NV 5,660 3,178 46.8% 42.0% Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA
4 Atlanta, GA 5,377 4,669 27.2% 26.7% New York, NY New York, NY
5 Austin, TX 4,038 3,029 32.3% 29.4% San Francisco, CA San Francisco, CA
6 Dallas, TX 3,420 2,804 25.6% 24.0% Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA
7 Portland, OR 3,402 4,088 18.6% 20.1% San Francisco, CA San Francisco, CA
8 Tampa, FL 2,904 2,292 53.3% 53.1% Orlando, FL New York, NY
9 Boston, MA 2,874 2,451 13.9% 13.3% New York, NY New York, NY
10 Nashville, TN 2,864 2,371 34.9% 33.2% New York, NY New York, NY
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Table: Top 10 Metros by Net Outflow of Users and Their Top Destinations

Rank Metro* Net Outflow 2019 Q4† Net Outflow 2018 Q4 Portion of Local Users Searching Elsewhere 2019 Q4 Portion of Local Users Searching Elsewhere 2018 Q4 Top Destination Top Out-of-State Destination
1 San Francisco, CA 28,560 28,973 23.0% 23.4% Sacramento, CA Seattle, WA
2 New York, NY 28,500 22,263 37.1% 35.6% Boston, MA Boston, MA
3 Los Angeles, CA 16,271 14,679 16.6% 16.6% San Diego, CA Phoenix, AZ
4 Washington, D.C. 6,339 5,258 11.1% 10.6% Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA
5 Chicago, IL 3,616 2,477 10.4% 9.4% Phoenix, AZ Phoenix, AZ
6 Denver, CO 3,004 2,558 23.7% 23.8% Seattle, WA Seattle, WA
7 Hartford, CT 1,323 1,057 69.8% 75.9% Boston, MA Boston, MA
8 Milwaukee, WI 1,030 708 38.5% 38.6% Chicago, IL Chicago, IL
9 Houston, TX 558 451 25.8% 26.5% Austin, TX Los Angeles, CA
10 Detroit, MI 524 114 22.1% 20.6% Grand Rapids, MI Chicago, IL
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I thought everyone loves SF and no one leaves.

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People love SF but most can’t afford to live here. :smile:

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Please don’t Californize Austin :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

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Too late. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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It’s been happening in Seattle. People are finally waking up after the downtown shooting in an area where drugs are openly dealt and used.

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…and another one bites the dust.