Best States for Travel Nursing in 2026: 10 Markets and Where to Host
The best states for travel nursing in 2026 include California, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, New York, Tennessee, Colorado, Virginia, and New Mexico based on recent travel-nursing job demand. For furnished-rental hosts, the biggest opportunity is not statewide demand alone. It is housing within a practical commute of hospitals that regularly need temporary clinicians.
What Makes the Best States for Travel Nursing?
High current job demand. Aya Healthcare reported 9,300 open nursing jobs as of August 31, 2026, 60% more than the same date in 2025. Its dataset covers Aya’s contracts and programs rather than the entire U.S. nursing market.
Multiple healthcare systems. States with several large hospital networks give travel nurses more assignment options and give hosts a broader potential renter pool.
Strong healthcare metros. Statewide numbers matter, but nurses usually search for housing around a specific hospital. Hosts should therefore evaluate cities and hospital corridors rather than an entire state.
Practical monthly housing. Travel nurses often need furnished housing with Wi-Fi, utilities, laundry, parking, and flexible terms that match temporary assignments.
Backup MTR demand. The strongest host markets can also attract corporate travelers, relocating professionals, visiting academics, military personnel, and other 30–90+ day renters.
Best States for Travel Nursing: 2026 Demand Ranking
Recent data shows that travel nursing demand has strengthened significantly. Aya’s index counted 9,300 open nursing jobs on August 31, 2026, up 14% over the preceding 30 days. Emergency-room demand alone increased 14.5% week over week, while MedSurg demand increased 9.4%.
Becker’s Hospital Review published state-level Aya data from August 20, 2026. At that point, national open travel-nursing positions had increased from 6,005 in Q2 to 8,186 quarter-to-date in Q3. The figures represent Aya’s network and should not be interpreted as the entire U.S. travel-nursing market.
| Rank | State | Q3 2026 QTD Open Travel Positions* | Host Markets to Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 665 | Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento |
| 2 | Ohio | 504 | Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati |
| 3 | North Carolina | 452 | Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Winston-Salem |
| 4 | Texas | 422 | Houston, Dallas, San Antonio |
| 5 | Missouri | 397 | St. Louis, Kansas City |
| 6 | New York | 313 | NYC, Albany, Rochester |
| 7 | Tennessee | 260 | Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville |
| 8 | Colorado | 259 | Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs |
| 9 | Virginia | 244 | Richmond, Norfolk, Charlottesville |
| 10 | New Mexico | 227 | Albuquerque, Santa Fe |
*Aya Healthcare network data reported by Becker’s Hospital Review as of August 20, 2026. These are not all open travel-nursing jobs nationwide.
Hosts entering this niche can also review our travel nurse housing resources before choosing a market.
1. California: Highest Travel Nursing Demand
Why it ranks / Best for: California ranked first in the August 2026 Aya data, making it the strongest state-level demand signal in this comparison.
Healthcare drivers: UCLA Health, Cedars-Sinai, UCSF Health, Stanford Health Care, UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente, and numerous regional systems.
2026 number: California had 665 open travel-nursing positions in Aya’s Q3 quarter-to-date dataset, up from 476 in Q2 2026.
Host context: California is not one housing market. Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and inland markets have radically different rents, regulations, acquisition costs, and hospital concentrations.
For hosts, California’s scale is attractive, but high housing costs mean demand alone does not guarantee attractive returns.
California remains one of the best states for travel nursing, especially for nurses seeking assignments across multiple large healthcare systems and metropolitan areas.
This mix of healthcare systems and growing metros keeps North Carolina competitive among travel nursing states for both clinicians and furnished-rental hosts.
2. Ohio: Strongest Value-Oriented Travel Nurse Housing Market
Why it ranks / Best for: Ohio ranked second for open travel-nursing positions and offers several major healthcare metros rather than relying on one dominant city.
Healthcare drivers: Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and UC Health.
2026 number: Ohio had 504 open travel positions in Q3 2026 quarter-to-date, compared with 358 during Q2. That was an increase of roughly 41%.
Host context: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati should be analyzed separately. A property should be positioned around an actual hospital cluster rather than simply marketed as “travel nurse housing in Ohio.”
Ohio deserves particular attention from hosts researching travel nurse housing markets because its demand is distributed across several substantial healthcare centers.
3. North Carolina: Best for Multiple Growing Healthcare Metros
Why it ranks / Best for: North Carolina combines high travel-nursing demand with several distinct healthcare markets suitable for furnished monthly rentals.
Healthcare drivers: Atrium Health, Novant Health, Duke Health, UNC Health, WakeMed, and academic medical centers.
2026 number: North Carolina recorded 452 open travel positions in Aya’s Q3 quarter-to-date data, ranking third nationally in the dataset.
Host context: Charlotte offers a different demand profile from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region. Hosts should evaluate specific hospital campuses, commute times, furnished competition, and neighborhood-level rents.
Charlotte hosts can combine healthcare demand with corporate relocation, while Triangle-area properties may benefit from healthcare, university, research, and biotechnology renters.
4. Texas: Best for Scale and Market Choice
Why it ranks / Best for: Texas combines high travel-nursing demand with several enormous healthcare markets, giving hosts multiple cities to evaluate.
Healthcare drivers: Texas Medical Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White, Methodist Healthcare, University Health, and other major systems.
2026 number: Texas had 422 open travel-nursing positions in Q3 2026 quarter-to-date, up from 328 during Q2.
Host context: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio have very different acquisition costs and renter profiles.
San Antonio is particularly interesting because healthcare demand overlaps with military medicine and Joint Base San Antonio. Houston offers one of the country’s most substantial concentrations of healthcare institutions.
For best cities travel nurses may consider, Texas gives hosts several viable metros rather than one obvious target.
5. Missouri: Strong Travel Nursing Demand With Two Major Metros
Why it ranks / Best for: Missouri’s travel-nursing demand was surprisingly strong in the latest state ranking, placing it ahead of several larger states.
Healthcare drivers: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University Medicine, Mercy, SSM Health, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, and University Health.
2026 number: Missouri recorded 397 open positions in Q3 quarter-to-date, compared with 282 in Q2 2026.
Host context: St. Louis and Kansas City should be treated as separate housing markets. Hosts need to map major medical campuses and compare the furnished supply within realistic shift-worker commuting distances.
Missouri demonstrates why hosts should follow current job data instead of assuming the biggest coastal states always have the strongest travel nursing demand.
6. New York: Best for Large Healthcare Systems
Why it ranks / Best for: New York combines a massive healthcare ecosystem with travel demand spread beyond New York City.
Healthcare drivers: NewYork-Presbyterian, Northwell Health, NYU Langone Health, Mount Sinai, Albany Medical Center, and University of Rochester Medical Center.
2026 number: New York had 313 open travel positions in the Q3 quarter-to-date Aya dataset, up from 287 during Q2.
Host context: New York City offers enormous healthcare demand but high housing costs. Upstate cities such as Albany and Rochester can present very different economics.
Hosts should also verify state and local rental regulations before deciding how to structure furnished stays.
7. Tennessee: Best for Healthcare-Industry Concentration
Why it ranks / Best for: Tennessee combines growing travel-nursing demand with Nashville’s unusually deep healthcare industry.
Healthcare drivers: Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA Healthcare, Ascension Saint Thomas, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and major regional hospitals.
2026 number: Tennessee had 260 open travel positions quarter-to-date in Q3 2026, up sharply from 170 during Q2.
Host context: Nashville may be the obvious starting point, but Memphis and Knoxville should also be researched for healthcare-focused furnished rentals.
Nashville properties can potentially reach clinicians as well as corporate travelers and relocating professionals, giving hosts alternatives when travel-nurse demand fluctuates.
8. Colorado: Fast-Rising 2026 Travel Nursing Demand
Why it ranks / Best for: Colorado stands out because travel-nursing openings nearly doubled between Q2 and the Q3 quarter-to-date snapshot.
Healthcare drivers: UCHealth, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, HCA HealthONE, and major Front Range medical facilities.
2026 number: Colorado increased from 132 open travel positions in Q2 to 259 in Q3 quarter-to-date.
Host context: Denver and Aurora provide the largest healthcare concentration, while Colorado Springs creates another distinct furnished-housing market.
The increase is noteworthy, but hosts should not assume it will continue indefinitely. Travel staffing needs can move quickly by specialty, hospital, and season.
9. Virginia: Best for Healthcare Plus Military Demand
Why it ranks / Best for: Virginia gives hosts a useful combination of healthcare, military, government, and relocation demand.
Healthcare drivers: VCU Health, UVA Health, Sentara Health, Inova, military medical facilities, and regional hospital systems.
2026 number: Virginia had 244 open travel positions in Q3 quarter-to-date, up from 152 during Q2.
Host context: Richmond, Charlottesville, Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads have very different renter profiles.
Hampton Roads may be especially interesting for furnished-rental hosts because healthcare demand overlaps with one of the country’s largest military concentrations.
10. New Mexico: Best Emerging Travel Nurse Housing Opportunity
Why it ranks / Best for: New Mexico rounds out the top 10 with a substantial travel-nursing demand signal relative to its population and market size.
Healthcare drivers: University of New Mexico Hospital, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Lovelace Health System, and regional medical facilities.
2026 number: New Mexico recorded 227 open travel positions in Q3 quarter-to-date, compared with 203 during Q2.
Host context: Albuquerque is the logical first market to research because it concentrates major healthcare employers and furnished-housing demand.
Hosts should still confirm current assignment volume and property-level competition before purchasing or converting a rental solely for travel nurses.
Best States for Travel Nursing: Where Should Hosts Focus?
The best states for travel nursing are useful for narrowing the search, but hosts make money at the property level, not the state level.
A useful shortlist based on the current demand data looks like this:
| Host Goal | Market to Research | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Highest state demand | California | 665 Q3 QTD positions |
| Value + strong demand | Ohio | 504 positions, multiple healthcare metros |
| Southeast growth | North Carolina | Charlotte + Triangle healthcare |
| Large-market choice | Texas | Houston, Dallas, San Antonio |
| Under-the-radar demand | Missouri | 397 Q3 QTD positions |
| Healthcare concentration | Tennessee | Nashville ecosystem |
| Rising demand | Colorado | 132 Q2 → 259 Q3 QTD |
| Healthcare + military | Virginia | Multiple renter segments |
The national backdrop is favorable for hosts researching this niche. Aya reported 9,300 open nursing jobs on August 31, 2026, 60% more than a year earlier, although that figure includes travel, contract and EMR needs within Aya’s dataset rather than every nursing vacancy nationwide.
View the Aya Index travel-nursing demand data
What Travel Nurses Look for in Furnished Housing
Travel nurses typically need a home, not a vacation rental. For a multi-week or multi-month assignment, practical amenities often matter more than decorative extras.
Reliable Wi-Fi, a full kitchen, comfortable bed, laundry, parking, storage, blackout curtains, and a quiet sleeping environment can make a property more competitive. Nurses working night shifts may place particular value on noise control and effective window coverings.
Hosts should also state realistic drive times to nearby hospitals. “Near hospitals” is much less useful than explaining that the property is within a practical commute of the medical campus the renter is likely to work at.
Pet-friendly housing can broaden the renter pool, but hosts should price and manage pet policies deliberately.
How to Evaluate Travel Nurse Housing Markets
- Follow current assignment demand. Use recent job-market data rather than assuming a famous healthcare city automatically has strong travel-nursing demand.
- Choose the hospital before the neighborhood. Map the medical centers you want to serve and determine realistic commute times during shift changes.
- Research furnished monthly competition. Compare similar bedrooms, utilities, Wi-Fi, parking, pet policies, furnishings, and minimum stays. Our guide to Furnished Finder alternatives can help hosts understand where nurses may search.
- Underwrite more than travel nurses. The strongest property should ideally work for corporate travelers, relocating professionals, visiting clinicians, military households, or other mid-term renters if nursing assignments decline.
- Calculate net monthly income. Utilities, Wi-Fi, furniture, cleaning, maintenance, vacancy, insurance, taxes, management, and platform expenses all reduce the furnished premium. Use our mid-term rental pricing guide when evaluating a property.
Where Should Hosts Invest for Travel Nursing Demand?
Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, and Tennessee deserve particular attention from hosts because they combine strong current travel-nursing demand with multiple healthcare metros. California leads the raw demand ranking, but its higher acquisition and operating costs mean hosts need to evaluate individual deals carefully.
Colorado is worth watching because Aya’s Q3 quarter-to-date count rose substantially from Q2. Virginia is compelling for hosts who want healthcare demand backed by military and government-related renters.
The most important lesson is that travel nursing states are only the first screening layer. The best investment may be a modest furnished unit 10 minutes from a hospital in the fourth-ranked state rather than an expensive property far from a hospital in the top-ranked state.
Hosts new to the model can use our landlord’s guide to mid-term rentals to evaluate the broader 30–90+ day strategy.
Ready to reach nurses and other professionals who need flexible furnished housing? List your furnished property on ministays and position it for monthly and mid-term stays.
FAQ
What are the best states for travel nursing in 2026?
The best states for travel nursing based on Aya’s August 2026 Q3 quarter-to-date demand data include California, Ohio, North Carolina, Texas, Missouri, New York, Tennessee, Colorado, Virginia, and New Mexico. California led with 665 open travel positions, followed by Ohio with 504 and North Carolina with 452.
Is travel nursing still in demand in 2026?
Yes. Aya Healthcare reported 9,300 open nursing jobs as of August 31, 2026, up 60% from the same date in 2025. Its data includes travel, contract and EMR needs within Aya’s network and excludes strike and workforce-disruption jobs, so it should be treated as a market indicator rather than the entire U.S. market.
Which state has the most travel nursing jobs?
California ranked first in Aya’s Q3 2026 quarter-to-date state data published by Becker’s Hospital Review, with 665 open travel-nursing positions as of August 20. Ohio followed with 504, North Carolina with 452, and Texas with 422. Actual marketwide totals can differ because the dataset represents Aya’s network.
What are the best cities for travel nurses and furnished-rental hosts?
Los Angeles, Columbus, Cleveland, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, St. Louis, Nashville, Denver, Richmond, and Albuquerque are cities worth researching because they sit within high-demand states and contain major healthcare systems. Hosts should verify current hospital-level assignments, furnished competition, rents, and regulations before investing.
How long do travel nurses need furnished housing?
Assignment lengths vary, so hosts should avoid assuming every nurse needs the same term. Furnished rentals that can accommodate approximately 30–90+ days are well positioned for temporary healthcare professionals, but renters may need shorter extensions or longer stays. Clearly state minimum stays, extension policies, utilities, deposits, and availability.
What amenities do travel nurses want in monthly rentals?
Travel nurses often prioritize reliable Wi-Fi, a full kitchen, comfortable bed, laundry, parking, storage, safety considerations, and a manageable hospital commute. Blackout curtains can be particularly useful for night-shift clinicians. Hosts should also clearly disclose utilities, pet policies, workspace, cleaning arrangements, and all monthly charges.
Should hosts buy a property based only on travel nursing demand?
No. Travel nursing demand can change by hospital, specialty, season, and staffing strategy. A safer underwriting approach is to choose a property that can also attract corporate travelers, relocating employees, military households, visiting professionals, and conventional tenants. Diversified demand reduces reliance on one temporary staffing segment.
