The pandemic accelerated several long-standing American migration patterns, according to CBRE. Net move-outs from high-cost coastal cities increased, and in high-growth Sun Belt metros — such as Charlotte, N.C.; Austin, Texas; and Dallas — the pace of net move-ins accelerated in 2020. Urban Sun Belt workforces have been growing for decades, and the pandemic appears to have added impetus to this trend.
Conversely, COVID-19 provided relief for some lower-cost, post-industrial cities — such as St. Louis and Detroit —where the rate of net move-outs slowed. The employment base of many of these cities is tied to production and distribution of goods, making them less conducive to remote work and encouraging many people to stay put.
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