The top 10 places Americans moved to at the height of the pandemic in 2020

• Millions of Americans have requested mail-forwarding services amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• MyMove, analyzing US Postal Service data, found that Americans moving between February and July 2020 mostly fled urban cores for more suburban areas.
• The country's largest winner of residents was Texas. Six of the 10 places on this list are Lone Star State suburbs.

The coronavirus pandemic upended American life this past spring and summer, driving millions to move in search of more comfortable work-from-home locales and greener pastures.

Analyzing US Postal Service data, MyMove found that almost 16 million Americans moved between February and July. Mail-forwarding requests to USPS made in that time frame show that moving Americans mostly fled urban cores and relocated to more suburban areas.

Some moves were short-term. Temporary change-of-address requests to the US Post Office were up 27% in 2020 versus 2019. Permanent change-of-address requests were up 2% from last year.

Requests from the height of the pandemic largely show that Americans were moving away from cities and toward less densely populated suburbs. New York City lost over 110,000 residents from February to July, according to USPS. Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles lost thousands, too.

Texas, however, gained thousands of residents amid the pandemic.

Of the top 10 places that gained residents per USPS, six were located in Texas. All were suburbs of the state's largest cities: Houston, Dallas, and Austin.

While it seems like everyone is moving to the Lone Star State, other locations in Florida and Idaho made the list, along with a tony Hamptons neighborhood in New York state.

Keep reading for a look at the most popular locales Americans decamped to this year:

10. Meridian, Idaho

Meridian is outside Boise, Idaho, pictured above.      Darwin Fan/Getty Images

Number of residents: 2,088

Population in 2019: 114,161

Metro area: Boise

Read more: The great migration of 2020: People from New York and California moved in droves this year — here are the states that benefited from the mass exodus, from Idaho to Texas

9. Riverview, Florida

Riverview is outside of Tampa, Florida, pictured above.      Kevin J King/Shutterstock

Number of residents gained: 2,093

Population in 2019: 91,190

Metro area: Tampa

Read more: Hedge funds tour Florida office space 'one to three times a day' amid 'torrential' interest from out of state, broker says

8. Cumming, Georgia

Cumming is just outside Atlanta, Georgia, pictured above.      Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Number of residents gained: 2,128

Population in 2019: 6,547

Metro area: Atlanta

7. Cypress, Texas

Cypress is outside Houston, Texas, pictured above.      Getty Images/Buyenlarge

Number of residents gained: 2,147

Population in 2019: 82,257

Metro area: Houston

6. Leander, Texas

Leander is just outside of Austin, Texas, pictured above.      Reuters

Number of residents gained: 2,294

Population in 2019: 62,608

Metro area: Austin

5. Georgetown, Texas

Georgetown is just north of outside of Austin, Texas, pictured above.      Mark Lee/

Number of residents gained: 2,337

Population in 2019: 79,604

Metro area: Austin

Read more: Elon Musk and other tech powerhouses are flocking to Texas, pushing an already bonkers real-estate market to new heights. Take a look inside Austin, which is quickly becoming the next Silicon Valley.

4. East Hampton, New York

Women crossing the street in East Hampton, New York on September 8, 2020.      John Lamparski/Getty Images

Number of residents gained: 2,476

Population in 2019: 12,960

Metro area: New York City

Read more: The Post Office says 300,000 New Yorkers have fled the city — for places like the Hamptons and even Honolulu

3. Frisco, Texas

The Dallas Cowboys practice in Frisco, Texas.      Visit Frisco

Number of residents gained: 2,604

Population in 2019: 200,490

Metro area: Dallas

Read more: Frisco, Texas, is one of America's fastest-growing cities. Here's why so many people are moving there

2. Richmond, Texas

Richmond is outside of Houston, Texas, pictured above.      Nate Hovee/Shutterstock

Number of residents gained: 3,000

Population in 2019: 12,578

Metro area: Houston

1. Katy, Texas

Katy is just outside of Houston, pictured above.      Duy Do

Number of residents gained: 4,414

Population in 2019: 21,729

Metro area: Houston

Read more: Elon Musk, like everyone else, is moving to Texas. Here are 12 Lone Star State cities America is in love with.