New data from online real estate marketplace Zillow reveals that more renters are leaving Los Angeles than are moving into the city, with Las Vegas emerging as a top out-of-state destination. The analysis of rental page views across various U.S. markets shows that Los Angeles was the largest source of out-of-town rental inquiries for several cities.
According to Zillow's findings, Las Vegas attracted the most attention from Los Angeles renters, accounting for approximately 5.4% of rental page views in the Nevada city. Phoenix followed, with 2.3% of its prospective renters originating from Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City registered 2.1% from the California metropolis.
This trend aligns with Los Angeles's reputation for high housing costs. A recent report by Realtor.com indicated that while Los Angeles County rents reached a four-year low, the median asking rent remained around $2,603. Zillow's Chief Economist Mischa Fisher noted that individuals are moving from an area where they are "severely rent-burdened" to locations where they can afford rent, potentially with significant savings, while still enjoying favorable weather.
Beyond Las Vegas, other California cities also saw substantial interest from Los Angeles renters. Riverside, located about 55 miles east of Los Angeles, drew 21.3% of its rental page views from the city. San Diego also attracted nearly 9% of its rental page views from Angelenos.
Conversely, rental listings within Los Angeles attracted a relatively low percentage of out-of-town search traffic, with only 27% of viewers coming from outside the city, second only to New York City. This data reflects broader demographic shifts, as an estimated 54,000 residents left Los Angeles County between July 2024 and July 2025, marking the largest population drop of any county in the United States during that period, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Experts suggest that a lack of housing supply is a primary driver of this population outflow. Shane Phillips of UCLA's Lewis Center for Regional Policy stated that communities not increasing their housing supply are likely to experience population decline.
While immediate neighbors like Las Vegas and Phoenix are popular, data also suggests an outmigration to Southern states such as Florida and Georgia, as well as to the Midwest. Phillips commented that the migration to the Midwest is notable, given that it is not considered a particularly strong market with robust job prospects for many.
