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Key Takeaways
- Smaller cities like Indianapolis, Columbus and Denver are attracting new residents, who are often searching for a lower cost-of-living, Bank of America said.
- The influx could put pressure on rent rates and housing prices if cities don’t add more housing to accommodate the growth, housing experts said.
It may be tempting to pack up your life and head to a city with cheap rent. But first, it’s worth checking how many others are making the same move.
Many Americans are moving in pursuit of a more affordable lifestyle, according to a Bank of America analysis of client addresses and transactions from 2020 to 2025. They’re often relocating to small cities in the same region, such as Indianapolis, Columbus and Denver, the report said. The influx, however, may undercut the lower cost of living that attracted so many to these communities in the first place, housing experts said.
Population growth often puts pressure on rent rates and housing prices as more people compete for homes in the area, said Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com, a listings site.
“It’s a snake-eating-its-tail thing,” Berner said. “They’re affordable, therefore, they attract people; therefore, they become unaffordable.”
The typical price jumps may be less pronounced in Indianapolis, Columbus and Denver because they’ve added a “fair amount” of new homes, Berner said. Still, local leaders say promoting growth, while curbing cost-of-living increases, remains a challenge.
As head of Denver’s economic development and opportunity agency, Adeeb Khan’s job is to bring more businesses and residents to the city—to bolster the economy and tax revenue for public services. But Khan is also preoccupied with making sure the housing stock can keep up.
Why This News Matters to Consumers
Developers have built more high-end homes, in part, because of the growing wealth gap. A number of other industries are also catering more to the affluent, including car manufacturers and airlines.
Rents slumped over the past year as some 18,000 to 20,000 apartments entered the market, Khan said. The city wants this trend to continue, while avoiding the sort of market upset that could deter developers or landlords, he said.
“We definitely are elated to see that rent prices are coming down,” Khan said. “It’s something that we know can change very quickly, and so we’re trying to ensure that we continue to see the progress.”
Housing costs generally fall in cities experiencing population declines, which, according to Bank of America, includes Miami, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The cost of living in L.A. and D.C. soared as the volume of available homes grew scarce, Berner said, clarifying that this issue is waning in Miami.
People watching their neighbors pack up shouldn’t expect to see more places in their price range, said Jonathan Miller, CEO of the appraisal firm, Miller Samuel. Recent construction has produced mostly higher-end homes, so competition for more moderately-priced places could remain fierce, he said.
The volume of Americans who move has fallen by more than 50% since 2021, Bank of America said. And those who do relocate are increasingly staying within the same metro area or region, the report said.
Rarely is relocating strictly a financial decision, experts said. Many people want to stay near family and personal networks. And when Americans are open to a big move—say to escape the punishing cost-of-living—many may not be able to afford it, Miller said.
“Because housing is so much more expensive relative to income compared to a couple of decades ago, people are less mobile than ever,” Miller said.
