LA renters are packing their bags: Here’s why more people are leaving than moving in

Data showed that Los Angeles was a major source of out-of-town rental searches for several cities. (Representative AI image)

More Los Angeles renters are looking to move out of the city than renters elsewhere are looking to move in, with Las Vegas emerging as their top out-of-state destination, according to new data from online real estate marketplace Zillow.Zillow analysed rental-page views across housing markets in the US to determine where prospective renters searching in each city were coming from.The data showed that Los Angeles was a major source of out-of-town rental searches for several cities.Las Vegas was the most popular out-of-state destination among Los Angeles renters, accounting for about 5.4% of rental-page views in the city, according to the New York Post.Phoenix followed with 2.3%, while Salt Lake City accounted for 2.1% of rental-page views from Los Angeles.The trend comes as Los Angeles continues to grapple with high housing costs. A recent Realtor.com report found that rents in LA County fell to a four-year low this year, but the median asking rent remained high at $2,603.“You are going from an area where, on average, you’re severely rent-burdened, to an area where not only can you afford rent, but you’ve got considerable savings left over, and it’s still sunny and warm,” Zillow’s Chief Economist Mischa Fisher told the Los Angeles Times.

“You don’t have the ocean, but it has other benefits.”The Zillow data also showed that many Los Angeles renters are looking for more affordable options within California.Riverside, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles, saw 21.3% of its rental-page views come from Los Angeles. San Diego also drew nearly 9% of its rental searches from LA.By contrast, Los Angeles attracted relatively little interest from renters outside the city.

Only 27% of rental-page viewers in LA came from outside the city, the second-lowest share among US cities analysed, after New York City.The rental search data comes amid a broader population decline in Los Angeles County. About 54,000 residents left the county between July 2024 and July 2025, according to recent US Census Bureau estimates.The county recorded the largest population decline of any US county during that period, highlighting the growing pressure of housing costs and affordability on residents.