This influx of workers will naturally drive demand for housing, retail, and other services in the surrounding areas, especially in smaller towns and cities that haven't seen major growth in decades.

As @Robin Smith mentioned, for assessing demand I used FurnishedFinder.com/stats; you can see demand data for a given city and some pricing data too.

As an investor here myself, I can tell you we're seeing solid rental demand here thanks to the strong job market and major employers developing here. 

cash flow has just been hit hard everywhere with the rise in interest rates. the properties in my portfolio that cash flow the most are at interest rates that it's not possible to get anymore - low 4s - and somehow there is still tremendous demand for properties that won't cash flow or break even, which is what you're finding.based on what you've said about your current situation... i don't have a good answer for you. 

Tools like PropStream, Redfin, or Zillow’s market data can help you identify neighborhoods with high demand and favorable price-to-ARV ratios.

Some folks in my circle also invest in other places like San Antonio or Phoenix, capitalizing on strong demand for workforce housing..

People will move to escape taxes and insurance, and others (me included) only want single-family homes and shudder at the thought of condos and apartments (which, ironically, I have).So will demand be as high?

There is zero demand from owner occupants and little to no demand from local investors. 

Appreciation is a real thing and not only this the demand for quality low-income housing is real. 

Home prices will likely vary by region, with modest increases in areas of high demand and stable job markets, while others may stabilize or decline.