A new moveBuddha report names Savannah one of America’s next big move-to boomtowns, ranking #4 among the U.S. cities people are most likely to move to in 2026.

Key findings:

• Savannah is ranked #4 top move-to hotspot of 2026, with 1.41 new movers for every person leaving.

• Comeback city: Move-in interest is up 22% since 2019.

• Savannah is one of only 7 cities deemed "hot and hotter" where there is both growing interest and high move-in interest for 2026.

• The growth reflects a national pivot toward midsize, affordable cities with strong community identity. According to the report: "Savannah comes with gothic charm, cobblestones, artsy SCAD co-eds — and off-the-charts popularity. The sultry city near the Georgia coast hasn’t seen more residents leave than enter since September 2019."
  
  
• Only 3 cities rank higher as move-to hotspots for 2026: #1 Knoxville (TN), #2 Tulsa (OK), and #3 Vancouver (WA). 

Many former sweetheart cities are losing their crowns to these up-and-comers. Our data shows Austin’s out, while cities like Knoxville, Saint Paul, and Chicago are rising up.

After years of buzz, Florida’s real estate market is “nursing a hangover.” And Austin’s once red-hot real estate market is now sagging under price reductions as homes linger on the market.

So where will Americans land next?

We wanted to know which way the winds are blowing in 2026 — based on data — and we wanted to know now, not in 2027, when the U.S. Census numbers will confirm where Americans wind up.

So we mined moveBuddha’s Moving Cost Calculator from 2019 to October 2025 to examine moving search trends and forecast which cities will be most popular in 2026.

What did we find?

The Midwest is making a comeback — but it’s still “out” for 2026. Instead, Americans are headed to mid-sized university towns next year, especially in the South and Southwest.

Full report here:https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/moving-forecast-predictions/