Living in a major metro like New York City or Chicago has long been viewed as a hallmark of success. However, a growing number of city dwellers overburdened by housing costs and uncertain about their job prospects are beginning to question this long-held belief.
In spring 2025, the appeal of some of the biggest and most prestigious U.S. urban centers faded among the locals, with New York City, Boston, and Chicago all landing on the top 10 list of least popular cities for the first time, according to a new report from Realtor.com®.
The Cross-Market Demand Report analyzed the 100 largest U.S. metros for cross-market demand. Economists focused on views of Realtor.com listings and compared how many out-of-town visitors were looking at homes in a city versus how many locals were shopping for properties elsewhere from April to June 2025.
Chicago, IL
The data revealed that 72.1% of online home shopping traffic in Chicago during that period went to listings outside the city, up nearly 26% from 2019—the fourth-largest increase in out-of-market search activity over the past six years…