From California Post · · 1m 30s
LA renters are window shopping in Las Vegas
Zillow search data shows where Angelenos look when they think about leaving, and one desert city is winning.
In brief
Zillow search data shows where Angelenos look when they think about leaving, and one desert city is winning. LA's rent math is pushing renters out, and their searches land mostly in Las Vegas or just inland in Riverside. Originally reported by California Post.
Nobody is searching in
Zillow tracked rental page views by city and found more renters leaving LA than eyeing it. Only 27% of views on LA listings came from out of town, the second lowest in the country after New York.
Las Vegas tops the list
Angelenos made up about 5.4% of rental page views in Las Vegas, the biggest out-of-state draw. Phoenix pulled 2.3% and Salt Lake City 2.1%.
A record low that still stings
LA County rents hit a four-year low this year, according to Realtor.com. The median asking rent was still $2,603 a month.
Rent burdened to money left over
Zillow chief economist Mischa Fisher framed the swap plainly: leave a market where you are severely rent burdened for one where rent fits and savings pile up, with the sun included.
“You don't have the ocean, but it has other benefits.”
Most just move inland
Renters who cannot swing a state line are looking east and south. Riverside drew 21.3% of its rental page views from LA, and San Diego close to 9%.
54,000 people out the door
LA County lost 54,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, the largest drop of any US county. Movers went to Florida, Georgia, and even soft Midwest job markets. UCLA's Shane Phillips blames housing supply.
“If you're not increasing the supply of housing in your neighborhood, you are probably losing population”
What matters most
LA's rent math is pushing renters out, and their searches land mostly in Las Vegas or just inland in Riverside.
