U.S. home shoppers increasingly look outside local markets due to affordability

A significant majority of home shoppers in the United States' 100 largest metropolitan areas are looking for properties outside their local markets. According to a Realtor.com report, 60.1% of online home views in the second quarter of 2026 were for listings outside the viewer's immediate metro area, a notable increase from 48.2% in the pre-pandemic second quarter of 2019.

This trend is driven by affordability and employment opportunities. In regions where housing costs have risen rapidly, such as the West, South, and Northeast, buyers are increasingly searching in more affordable neighboring markets. The West leads this trend, with nearly two-thirds of home shoppers looking at outlying listings.

Specific metropolitan areas like Salt Lake City, Denver, and Durham have been identified as locations where residents are being priced out of their local markets. In these cities, more than 70% of first-quarter homebuyers turned to neighboring areas that offer lower prices. For example, Salt Lake City residents often look toward Ogden, Denver buyers favor Colorado Springs, and those in Durham frequently search in Raleigh.