31/07/2026
🏙️ "Zoom Towns": Migration-Driven Demographic Shifts in Secondary Cities
Urban and regional economics research has documented the emergence of so-called "Zoom towns" — smaller cities and rural areas experiencing rapid population growth driven by remote workers relocating from expensive metropolitan centers. Studies of these migration patterns report significant impacts on local housing markets, occasionally producing affordability pressures for pre-existing residents, alongside offsetting economic benefits such as increased local consumer spending and diversification of regional tax bases.