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Since the start of the decade, a huge number of Americans have been moving to big cities in the South.
Using data from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates program, we found the US metropolitan areas with the highest net migration between 2010 and 2018, adjusted by the size of the 2010 metro area population. Net migration measures the number of people who moved into the metro area from some other part of the US or another country, minus the number of people who left the metro area over that period.
Reinforcing a theme we've seen in other measures, Americans are flocking to the South. An overwhelming majority of the top 20 metro areas for migration are in the south, with over half in Florida alone.
Here are the 20 metro areas with the highest net migration between 2010 and 2018 as a share of 2010 population:
20. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, had net migration of 19,111 between 2010 and 2018 — 13.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 138,494.
19. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Florida, had net migration of 32,718 between 2010 and 2018 — 13.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 235,865.
18. Raleigh, North Carolina, had net migration of 159,756 between 2010 and 2018 — 14.1% of the metro's 2010 population of 1,130,490.
17. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Florida, had net migration of 87,461 between 2010 and 2018 — 14.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 590,289.
16. Port St. Lucie, Florida, had net migration of 62,896 between 2010 and 2018 — 14.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 424,107.
15. Midland, Texas, had net migration of 22,239 between 2010 and 2018 — 15.7% of the metro's 2010 population of 141,671.
14. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida, had net migration of 96,548 between 2010 and 2018 — 16.0% of the metro's 2010 population of 602,095.
13. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, had net migration of 344,022 between 2010 and 2018 — 16.1% of the metro's 2010 population of 2,134,411.
12. Greeley, Colorado, had net migration of 41,180 between 2010 and 2018 — 16.3% of the metro's 2010 population of 252,825.
11. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida, had net migration of 56,188 between 2010 and 2018 —17.5% of the metro's 2010 population of 321,520.
10. Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida, had net migration of 24,647 between 2010 and 2018 — 17.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 138,028.
9. St. George, Utah, had net migration of 24,835 between 2010 and 2018 — 18.0% of the metro's 2010 population of 138,115.
8. Austin-Round Rock, Texas, had net migration of 310,931 between 2010 and 2018 — 18.1% of the metro's 2010 population of 1,716,289.
7. Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Alabama, had net migration of 33,655 between 2010 and 2018 — 18.5% of the metro's 2010 population of 182,265.
6. Bend-Redmond, Oregon, had net migration of 30,773 between 2010 and 2018 — 19.5% of the metro's 2010 population of 157,733.
5. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida, had net migration of 140,889 between 2010 and 2018 — 20.1% of the metro's 2010 population of 702,281.
4. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida, had net migration of 135,696 between 2010 and 2018 — 21.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 618,754.
3. Punta Gorda, Florida, had net migration of 36,551 between 2010 and 2018 — 22.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 159,978.
2. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-North Carolina, had net migration of 105,460 between 2010 and 2018 — 28.0% of the metro's 2010 population of 376,722.
1. The Villages, Florida, had net migration of 43,639 between 2010 and 2018 — 46.7% of the metro's 2010 population of 93,420.
