Sarasota has returned to a national ranking of top moving destinations after falling off last year.
The city has landed back in PODS’ 2026 Moving Trends Report, the moving and storage company’s annual look at where Americans are relocating, marking a comeback after Sarasota fell off the list entirely in 2025.
This year, Sarasota ranks No. 9 on the annual list produced by the moving and storage company based in Clearwater.
It’s Sarasota’s first appearance since 2023, when it ranked No. 2, according to Herald-Tribune archives.
Florida tied with Tennessee for the most cities represented in the top 20 move-in rankings this year, with four each, doubling its represented cities compared to 2025. Ocala ranked No. 2 for the third straight year, while Jacksonville held at No. 10.
PODS’ recent Moving Mindset Study found that affordability overtook career as the top deciding factor for where people are moving in 2026, with 58% citing affordability as their primary motivator and community and connection a close second at 41%.
In addition, “current market dynamics show more motivated sellers than buyers,” PODS’ recent stody finds. “Prospective purchasers are carefully weighing affordability, mortgage rates, and economic uncertainty before deciding on their next move.”
Los Angeles topped the move-out list for the fifth straight year, followed by South Florida, Northern California, Washington, D.C. and Long Island.
“Our latest Moving Trends Report reinforces what we are seeing from American movers across the board. Affordability is now the primary driver behind where they choose to live,” said James Shively, Chief Operating Officer at PODS, in a statement. “As economic uncertainty continues to shape decision-making, people are moving to Sun Belt states perceived to offer a more sustainable cost of living without sacrificing job opportunities, community, or quality of life,” Shively said. “Persistent move-outs from high-cost metro areas underscore the growing pressure many households face, which we have seen time and time again in cities like Los Angeles and Miami, which continue to surface at the top of our move-out list.”
The data in the Moving Trends Report analyzed net long-distance moves from January 2025 through March 2026, according to PODS. To see the full top 20 list of the cities Americans are moving to and from, as well as additional analysis, visit the full post on the PODS Blog.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota back in top 10 U.S. cities people are moving to
Reporting by Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Samantha Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
