Affordability is pushing more buyers toward suburbs and outer-ring communities where the monthly payment works better.

The National Association of Realtors®’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found 44% of buyers purchased in a suburb or subdivision between July 2024 and June 2025, 24% chose a home in a small town, 14% bought a home in a city or urban center.

For 2026, the common thread running through every move and purchase, whether suburban, exurban, small-town or rural is monthly payment math, not always lifestyle preference. In markets such as Raleigh, Dallas, and parts of South Florida, buyers are moving farther from the core to find newer homes, more space, or a lower payment without leaving the region entirely.

Remote and hybrid work has made those tradeoffs easier to absorb, especially for buyers whose salaries are still tied to higher-cost job centers.

Financing limits, price gaps, and the cost of staying closer in are shaping many of those decisions. For many buyers, the decision is coming down to what the monthly payment will allow.

Source: Inman (05/29/26) Pipitone, Nick

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