Americans fled en masse from large cities to escape the coronavirus pandemic – and many of them are staying, permanently or indefinitely. But escaping means something different depending on who you ask.
The main destination cities in October and November were Sacramento, California; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Austin, Texas; and Atlanta, according to the Redfin real estate website. The interest is particularly high for Austin, where twice as many people have moved this year compared to last year.
The main driver is that people want more space, which increases sales of luxury, suburban and rural homes, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.
“It’s a K-shaped recovery. Wealthy people are doing well, and wealthier people are better able to work remotely,” said Fairweather.
Buyers are looking for cheaper homes and backyards for their families, home offices for parents, designated areas for remote education for their children and, with some gyms closed or customers afraid to return, their own training spaces.
Houses with additional guest houses or suites were also sold quickly, as families welcome their older parents to maintain multi-generational face-to-face time. Many have removed elderly relatives from nursing homes, which have been sites of coronavirus outbreaks, to simplify the family bubble.
Buyers are using 3D virtual tours, sending agents to video tour houses and buying houses without being seen to avoid repeated travel and increased risk of exposure, said Fairweather.
Some southern and southwestern states, which had fewer blocking restrictions, added people fleeing more restrictive counties and states for economic and ideological reasons.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
Jehna Powell, 23, a bartender and gym employee, recently moved from Eaton, Colorado, to Pensacola Beach, Florida.
“I can’t stand living in Colorado anymore. The governor doesn’t have the best interest for small businesses and people born and raised in Colorado,” Powell said in an online message.
During a recent trip to Florida, she fell in love with the warmer weather and decided to take the leap with her dog this summer. Although the cost of living is almost the same as Eaton’s, Powell said he likes the “simpler life” and expects the bartender’s income to increase next summer.
In Florida, people are “happy … to be able to do what they think is necessary as well as to protect themselves,” said Powell. For example, the bar where she works does not require the use of masks.
Some people fleeing large cities said they feared they would die from Covid-19 and burden their partners with housing costs that they would not be able to afford on their own.
Amber Parker, from Atascadero, California, had to make a decision when her husband lost his income. He was the head coach of a basketball team at a college, and the school decided not to risk playing sports this year.
“We realized that if one of us died or lost his job, the other would not be able to pay the mortgage,” Parker said in an online message. “Although we don’t live in fear of the virus. Just logical thinkers.”
So they sold their house and moved their two children to Lexington, South Carolina. While the family is excited, everyone knows that they will miss their family and friends.
“Mostly, we just want to see our kids thrive,” said Parker. “California is completely closed.”
In his new city, his youngest son, 11, will be able to go to school four days a week and his 14-year-old, two days a week. And both will be able to play sports.
The pandemic and remote work arrangements have opened up new opportunities for people to experience living in new areas without having to leave their old jobs or save a lot of money.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and alerts
Abigail Jaffe, 28, who works in public relations for technology companies, moved from New York City to Austin in August. Her roommate left the shared apartment to go back to her parents and work remotely, which meant that Jaffe had to decide whether to meet a new roommate during the pandemic and all that implies, or move out.
“I wanted to move to Austin for a while, but I always thought I would have to quit my job first,” she said. Instead, the pandemic gave her a chance to pursue her dream.
“It’s much better. I pay the same amount for a one-bedroom apartment now that I was paying to share a two-bedroom apartment in New York City,” wrote Jaffe in an online message. She also won a car and a dog, which could be a challenge in her previous location.
Susan Wachter, professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, said the pandemic has accelerated long-term demographic changes.
The pandemic has accelerated population loss in some urban centers and spurred movement towards suburban and rural areas, said Wachter. And now, unlike the beginning of the pandemic, people are making long-term moves, not just temporary relocations, to escape Covid-19 or its effects on quality of life.
Before the pandemic, workers and families faced a terrible choice when deciding where to live. “You could move for several hours or pay excessive housing costs,” said Wachter. “Now, you can avoid both.”
People who have left cities can return if their offices allow or require one to two days a week of personal contact, but many can move further away from cities to enjoy the lowest cost of living, the best quality of life and more access to nature and outdoor activities.
But younger workers and newcomers will still migrate to cities, attracted by relatively cheap rents, the chance to meet new people and have a critical time on their faces and the opportunity to develop skills to nurture their careers.
“The new generation will choose cities – as before,” said Wachter.