Long considered America's flyover region, the heartland states have experienced a post-pandemic revival thanks to an influx of newcomers moving from the nation's major metros—and it's having a very positive impact on the housing markets in key migration hubs.

Cities like Columbus, OH, Grand Rapids, MI, Indianapolis, Nashville, TN, and Austin, TX, have been pulling in young professionals attracted by well-paying jobs in tech, manufacturing, health care, and financial services, as well as families looking for affordable housing and a more relaxed pace of life.

The success of this internal migration has been undeniable. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, an estimated 39% of the U.S. population lived in the heartland region in 2024, representing a 2.65% uptick from 2020. For comparison, the population in the rest of the U.S. grew by only 2.59%.

This marked the first time since 1959 that the heartland's population gains exceeded the national average, according to a recent analysis by Barron's.

So what's driving this demographic shift? According to Realtor.com® economist Jiayi Xu, one of the primary reasons for people moving to the heartland is affordable housing, which has become increasingly appealing in today’s environment of elevated prices and mortgage rates stubbornly stuck in the mid- to upper-6% range.

"Additionally, the job market in many of these regions is growing, with relatively low unemployment rates," adds Xu.

For instance, in February of this year, Nashville's unemployment rate was 2.9%, while Austin's was 3.7%. Both were lower than the national average of 4.1%.

Housing prices are rising in the heartland

The inflow of people from the coasts and other major population centers like Chicago and Dallas has spurred the housing markets in the heartland's most popular cities over the past five years.

According to Realtor.com data, the median home list prices in the five aforementioned heartland hubs—Columbus, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Austin—have seen increases ranging from 17% to a staggering 47% from 2019 to 2025. 

In Austin, a typical home cost $358,571 in March 2019, a year before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. By March 2025, that median list price had shot up to $510,000, representing a boost of more than 42%. 

For comparison, the national median home list price increase during that same period was just shy of 39%. 

Columbus saw a more modest uptick of 26% across five years, with the median price rising from $285,671 to $360,000. 

However, the city's future appears nothing if not bright, with the defense technology company Anduril Industries gearing to build a $1 billion factory in town, and Intel laying the groundwork to invest $28 billion in two semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the suburb of New Albany.

Billed as the "Silicon Heartland" project, the Intel venture is projected to create 3,000 permanent jobs and give the local economy a major $2.8 billion shot in the arm. 

Many major tech companies, including Realtor.com, have relocated to Austin, TX, in recent years. 

 

In Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas, median home prices saw a boost of 36%, meaning that in March 2025, a typical home there cost $385,000. 

Compared with the other migration hubs, Indianapolis saw the most modest price gain of 17% from the pre-pandemic era, with the typical home there going for $315,000 last month, the cheapest among the five heartland juggernauts. 

On the other side of the spectrum, bustling Nashville, known as the "Country Music Capital of the World," has experienced the most dramatic surge in home prices, at 47%. This past March, a typical home in Tennessee's thriving capital cost $535,000, which is 25% higher than the national median. 

Where are the heartland migrants coming from?

Over the past few years, heartland metros have attracted a slew of new businesses, from established companies to startups, looking for that optimal combination of affordable real estate, tax incentives, and an eager cadre of professionals.  

Austin in particular has become a magnet for tech giants looking for a new home, with Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX, Apple, and Amazon choosing to relocate there. In February, Realtor.com became one of the latest companies to settle in Austin, citing the city’s business-friendly environment, low taxes, and a deep talent pool.  

With hundreds of thousands of new jobs being created in Austin, it was not long before people began streaming into the city, not only from other parts of Texas, but also from across the U.S., looking to put down roots there.

Based on Realtor.com cross-market demand data, in the first three months of this year, homebuyers from Dallas accounted for more than 26% of out-of-market viewers of homes in Austin, followed by San Antonio, TX, residents, who made up 8.7%, and Chicagoans rounding out the top three, with 7.7%.

Meanwhile, the city of Columbus, Ohio's state capital and the home of Ohio State University, has developed into a booming center of automotive manufacturing, retail, and finance. It has been getting the most attention from Washington, DC, homebuyers (24.4%), New Yorkers (10%), and residents of Cleveland (7%).

DC residents were also revealed as the top out-of-market viewers of homes in Grand Rapids (16.7%) and Indianapolis (18.2%) during the first quarter of 2025, while Chicago residents took the most interest in properties located in Nashville (22.2%).

Residents of the Big Apple and nearby New Jersey ranked among the top out-of-market viewers for all five heartland cities, signaling their potential interest to relocate and buy homes there.

"As more people, particularly younger professionals and diverse talent, are drawn to the booming tech and entertainment hubs in the Midwest heartland, the region is rapidly evolving," says Xu. "It’s increasingly becoming a place that offers the ideal balance of affordability, opportunity, and a high quality of life."

Other heartland boomtowns to watch

In addition to the five already flourishing heartland markets mentioned, recent analysis from Realtor.com showed that cities such as Louisville, KY, and Detroit are among the most popular places people are moving to.

Economists used Realtor.com online traffic data to identify markets that received the most buyer interest in the past year. A higher share of online traffic points to greater interest in homes within that market, suggesting they’re more attractive to homebuyers. 

Over the past 12 months, properties in Louisville attracted 0.5% of online traffic on Realtor.com, with views per property 1.5 times the national level. For-sale homes in Louisville piqued the most interest in the South (61.4%) and Midwest (21.5%).

Detroit, the largest market in the top 10 list, boasting a population of over 4 million, was the fourth most popular city among online shoppers. Homes in the Motor City drew 1.3% of Realtor.com traffic, with views per listing 1.2 times the U.S. average. More than 7 in 10 would-be buyers were from the Midwest.

Original Article by Snejana Farberov, Realtor.com