Buyers Interest in Small Town Living Increases Rapidly During COVID-19 Pandemic

According to a report from Redfin, the technology-powered real estate brokerage, pageviews of homes in small towns surged 105% year-over-year for the seven-day period ending May 1st. This is an advance from the 85% gain which occurred during the week of April 1st. In rural counties with fewer than 10,000 people, views climbed 76%, a sizable increase from the prior year but a deceleration from the 170% rise a month before. Redfin lead economist Taylor Marr summed up the interest in small towns saying, “During the first month of the pandemic, interest in rural areas skyrocketed while interest in cities fell, with many urbanites dreaming of packing up and heading for the hills. Some of that boost in rural areas proved to be temporary, but it appears to be more sustainable in small towns, which may be a more realistic option for those looking to work from home primarily or commute into the office once or twice a week.”