The past year is seeing a massive movement in people relocating across the country. With the housing market on fire in home prices increasing as much as 18% in some areas, homeowners are feeling the urge to cash in during this historic Seller’s Market.

Florida ranks among the most popular destinations for these individuals, with Gulf Coast cities like Cape Coral and Sarasota amidst the most popular.

In fact, according to address change requests submitted to the U.S. Postal Service, Sarasota was the second most common place Americans relocated to over the past year. Number one belongs to Cape Coral, a city that is especially popular with Millennial homebuyers.

Sarasota scores prime rankings for beaches and retirement

Sarasota won two major titles in 2020, each of which has undoubtedly sparked the interest of two very different market segments of home buyers: Retirees, and Millennials.

U.S. News and World Report ranked Sarasota the #1 place to retire, thanks to Master Plan Developments like Lakewood Ranch, year-round great weather, and plenty of activities for all ages.

Perhaps more important to Millennials, Siesta Key Beach made headlines after receiving the “#1 beach in America” title by Trip Advisor.

Nearby, other cities catch residual waves of growth

To the Southeast of Sarasota, North Port is experiencing massive growth as well. According to a 2020 migration trends report by U-Haul, North Port is the #1 “growth city” in the United States. This metric is calculated by comparing the total number of U-Haul trucks being used to move-in to a city, versus those booked to move residents out. Not surprisingly, each of the top 3 growth cities are all located in Florida: North Port, Kissimmee, and Port St. Lucie.

“People are packing up their U-Haul trucks and heading to North Port because it’s an affordable place to live, and it’s central to Fort Myers and Sarasota,” said Dave Thompson, U-Haul Company of Western Florida president.

For our money, you just can’t beat Sarasota

Sure, we’re biased. We run a website named Welcome Home SRQ, after all. But for our money, you simply cannot beat the culture, diversity, and easy-breezy energy of life in Sarasota.

Want to learn more? Visit our Neighborhood Guide to browse popular Sarasota neighborhoods!