It probably won’t come as a surprise to Utahns and others around the country suffering through this summer’s record heat waves and other climate extremes that weather was the top reason Americans cited for moving to another state in a new survey.
More than 1 in 5 U.S. residents, 22%, said a planned move out of state was for better weather in the survey for the Seattle-based online real estate brokerage Redfin that was released Wednesday.
Next on the list? Concern about “natural disasters or climate risks in my previous area including heat, drought, flooding, fire, smoke or poor air quality” was cited by 21% of the respondents likely to move out of state in the next 12 months.
A lower cost of living trailed behind worries about crime and safety, named as a reason to move by 20% of those surveyed, as well as the need to relocate for work, at 19%, and tied at 18% with both the desire to live closer to family and to upgrade to a better home or neighborhood.
Other factors, including wanting additional space, lower housing prices and taxes, shorter commutes, a community that shares similar political views, higher rated schools and more ethnic diversity, all ranked lower.
The survey by the polling firm Ipsos was fielded to a nationally representative sample of 4,000 adults who are U.S. residents, Redfin posted. They were given a list of 29 potential reasons for a move and allowed to choose all that applied.
Where sunshine is a ‘mood booster’
In May, when the survey was conducted, the contiguous states were experiencing the second-warmest spring on record and also one of the driest, the National Centers for Environmental Information reported, fueling drought conditions leading to an already deadly wildfire season.
The survey results for those moving out of state came from 284 respondents, according to the Redfin post. The most, 14%, said they were headed to Florida, with 13% relocating in Texas and 11% to California.
“Many movers are looking for a location that aligns with their ideal lifestyle, and weather can play a meaningful role in that decision,” Yingqi X, a Redfin economist, said of the pull away from less temperate parts of the country.
“Whether it’s escaping harsh winters, the desire for year-round outdoor recreation or looking to sunshine as a mood booster, weather is an important consideration for many Americans who are relocating.”
Migration within the U.S. hit a record high at the start of the year, Redfin previously reported, with 19.1% of house hunters intending to move to another part of the country within the first quarter of 2026. A year ago, that number was 18.9%.
Will Florida remain a popular place to relocate?
But the long-standing appeal of some warmer and sunnier places may increasingly be tempered by the changing weather.
“Climate risk is becoming a more important factor when Americans weigh the costs and benefits of living in a certain place,” Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist, said recently about a separate study showing a rising number of Americans are leaving flood-prone areas.
That Redfin study, posted in June, found that the nation’s high-flood risk counties lost more than 63,000 residents in 2025, nearly double the previous year. Counties in Miami, Florida, and Houston, Texas, posted the biggest population drops.
Fairweather said homeowners are paying the price for climate issues, “in the form of rising insurance premiums and repairs. When people’s bank accounts take a hit, they’re more likely to genuinely consider living in a less risky place — or reconsider a move to a risky place.”