JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Even in a pandemic, Jacksonville is attracting more people to move to the city.
A new report says because of COVID-19, some people are changing locations.
The report says more people are leaving the giant metro areas, such as New York and San Francisco, and making cities like Jacksonville their home.
It says the net arrivals for those two cities have fallen more than 20% from April to August, while the Bold City’s arrivals are rising.
Is COVID-19 making you think twice about where you live? For some people, it has, and cities, like Jacksonville, are reaping the benefits.
A report from LinkedIn News says smaller metros are gaining traction compared to bigger cities.
News4Jax spoke with a broker who said though the pandemic forced thousands to work from home, those people would rather do it in a place with good weather, low-income taxes and a great base of employment.
“If people are being a bit more relaxed in regards to how they are handling the pandemic in their life, meaning being outdoors more, wanting to social distance in an area in their living space, North Florida is a perfect place for that,” said Howard Flaschen, broker and owner of Roundtable Realty.
The report says the Bold City’s net arrivals are up to 10.7%, especially with the addition of jobs. It also mentions cities such as Milwaukee and Salt Lake City with increases.
“For the foreseeable future, I see nothing changing,” Flaschen said. “Buyers find it much cheaper oftentimes to buy a home than rent, and I don’t see anything in the near future that is going to change that.”
But with more people leaving, the report says it gives cities like Jacksonville a chance to keep growing in opportunity.
The broker said this doesn’t mean the real estate market didn’t struggle during the pandemic. He said there is still a problem with more demand and not enough supply, which is pushing up prices of property.