KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A new study says Knoxville is predicted to be the most popular city Americans move to in 2026.
According to moveBuddha’s Moving Forecast, Knoxville is predicted to surpass Savannah, Georgia as the nation’s top move-to city.
The study predicts Knoxville to have 1.61 more newcomers moving into the Scruffy City for every person moving away.
For most cities at the top of the list, they are either anchored by a university, a mid-sized city or in the South. For Knoxville, it meets all three of these categories.
Knoxville isn’t the only city to appear on the list. Nashville is No. 16 with 1.14 more newcomers moving in for every person moving out.
Below is the top 25 most popular cities moveBuddha predicts Americans will move to next year:
| Rank | City | Predicted 2026 Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knoxville, TN | 1.61 |
| 2 | Tulsa, OK | 1.57 |
| 3 | Vancouver, WA | 1.57 |
| 4 | Savannah, GA | 1.41 |
| 5 | Tucson, AZ | 1.37 |
| 6 | Tempe, AZ | 1.33 |
| 7 | Frisco, TX | 1.29 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | 1.26 |
| 9 | Saint Paul, MN | 1.25 |
| 10 | Virginia Beach, VA | 1.24 |
| 11 | Grand Rapids, MI | 1.21 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | 1.20 |
| 13 | Washington, DC | 1.18 |
| 14 | Portland, OR | 1.18 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | 1.17 |
| 16 | Nashville, TN | 1.14 |
| 17 | Orlando, FL | 1.13 |
| 18 | New York, NY | 1.12 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | 1.10 |
| 20 | Plano, TX | 1.10 |
| 21 | Eugene, OR | 1.10 |
| 22 | Spokane, WA | 1.10 |
| 23 | Henderson, NV | 1.08 |
| 24 | Sunnyvale, CA | 1.06 |
| 25 | Dallas, TX | 1.04 |
