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Chicagoans are moving to a certain Florida city more than anywhere else

It’s no secret that people living in the Chicago area — and the Midwest in general — sometimes realize that they’ve had enough of the cold and move to a warmer climate, whether just for the winter or for good.

While there are plenty of warmer options, from California to Arizona, Florida and more, it appears many Chicagoans have their sights set on one specific city in southwest Florida.

According to a study from the real estate website Redfin, residents of the Chicago metro area are moving to Cape Coral, Florida, more than anywhere else. Located about 10 miles west of Fort Myers, Cape Coral is a city of approximately 200,000 residents that has more than 400 miles of canals and sits on the Gulf Coast.

According to its website, the city is “a vibrant and friendly community with all the beauty that you expect from Southwest Florida.” Why so many Chicagoans are flocking to Cape Coral — above anywhere else — is unclear.

Meanwhile, Chicago was included on a Redfin list of the top metro areas homebuyers are looking to leave, coming in at fifth place behind San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

While some people are relocating from Chicago, the city appears to have high marks with those from other areas. Chicago was the top destination for people looking to leave the Denver metro area and the top out-of-state destination for locals moving from the Detroit area.

Redfin’s analysis was conducted by examining two million users who viewed for-sale homes online across more than 100 metro areas from April to June 2023. To measure the share of homebuyers looking to relocate from one metro to another, analysts calculated the portion of overall home searchers that are migrants, according to the website.