Gen Z and the city – a love story?
Just as millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers fled big cities during the pandemic in search of warmer weather and lower costs of living, the youngest adults (Ages 18-24) bucked the trend and moved in droves to some of the largest cities in the country.
The five largest U.S. cities – New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia – all had net migration increases for Gen Z while experiencing net decreases for all other generations, according to an analysis of Census Bureau 2021 American Community Survey by Today’s Homeowner.
While millennials abandoned NYC in droves, with 96,600 members fleeing the city, the Big Apple turned out into a big draw for Gen Z, gaining over 3,043 members of this generation – the largest net gain for NYC across all age groups, according to the report.
Other large cities also saw similar gains in Gen Z population, with Washington D.C., Columbia and Boston, each with a net migration of over 10,000 per city.
Florida may be the most moved to state in the country, but not when it comes to Gen Z.
They are the only generation that chose to exit Florida, with an outflux of 8,000 young adults, while every other generation moved in. Similarly, Connecticut had net gains from every generation except Gen Z – 5,000 of which chose to leave.
Where are people moving to?
The states with the highest gains in overall population are Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, and South Carolina. These states are the most popular picks for each generation – except for Gen Z – which still choose states in the north like Massachusetts and the District of Columbia as their preferred destinations.
Southern states dominated in migration gains, especially those on the Southeastern coastline.
The states suffering the highest losses include California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Minnesota.