As the weather cools, so does the US housing market. The housing market often experiences seasonal variations, and as the Christmas season approaches, fewer people sell their homes and relocate.
According to a new US analysis, around 24.6% of movers in the nation’s largest metros prefer to move over the holiday season (January, February, November, and December). Compare this to the peak season’s yearly move average of 42% (May, June, July, and August).
Most major U.S. cities experience a slowdown in home sales and moving activity around the holidays and winter. So, we were curious: which major cities defy this tendency and move the most around the holidays?
According to new US statistics, warmer-weather towns in the West and Sunbelt, such as Las Vegas, Miami, San Diego, and Orlando, as well as Rochester, experience the highest moving activity when Santa arrives and temperatures drop.
The Top 5 American Cities with the Highest Demand for Movers Over the Holidays
Most people are too preoccupied with Christmas caroling or dreidel spinning to sell their houses and relocate when the holiday season arrives. However, home sales and moving activity are stronger in the ten U.S. cities listed below than they are in most throughout the winter.
Tampa, Florida: 3.62% more movements than the typical city during the holidays and mild winters
Tampa’s mild winter weather makes it the ideal place to enjoy the holiday season without the cold, in contrast to snowy towns in the north. Curtis Hixon Park’s Winter Village is one of the many festive events that take place during the holiday season.
There may be more moving activity in the MSA than in the typical American city due to Tampa’s mild winter and holiday weather. About 25.5% of all moving activity in Tampa occurred during the holiday season/winter months, which is 3.62% over the national average.
Los Angeles, CA: A movers’ paradise in the winter
5.88% more relocations than the typical city over the holidays
Even though Los Angeles experiences greater rainfall in the winter, the city is usually bright and has mild to warm temperatures. Because you won’t have to worry about dangerous road conditions brought on by snowstorms in a city like Chicago, Los Angeles is a terrific spot to move to and from during the winter.
While most American cities see a slowdown in home sales and moving activity during the winter, Los Angeles continues to see high activity.
Sleighbells and moving trucks in Riverside, California
Over the holidays, there are 6.01% more moves than in the typical city.
Another Californian city with a lot of movement activity in the winter is Riverside, which is about an hour and forty-five minutes east of Los Angeles. Although Riverside has a somewhat harsher temperature than Los Angeles and has snowstorms and other cold weather, people still move into and out of the city despite this.
Christmas in San Diego, California
6.85% more relocations than the typical city over the holidays
During San Diego’s holiday season, both visitors and locals may enjoy holiday lights, events, and even a surfing Santa. Additionally, San Diego’s mild winters make it a location where home sales and moving activities don’t slow down as much as they do in other California towns.
Big Apple holiday moves in New York, NY
7.27% more relocations than the typical city over the holidays
Because of its strong winter housing market, New York City is the only city in the Northeast to make the list. While NYC is a great place to visit during the holidays, selling a single-family house there can be even more beneficial.
The holiday season accounts for about 26.4% of all moving activity in NYC, which is almost 7.3% more than the national average. Given that the MSA lost 2.6% of its population between 2020 and 2022, many of these relocations during this time may have been made by persons escaping New York City.