New York recorded the biggest net outflow of Gen Z adults among US metropolitan areas in 2024, with 29,554 more young people leaving than moving in, according to a Redfin analysis of US Census Bureau data.The migration, however, does not necessarily mean young Americans are abandoning major cities altogether. Many are making relatively short moves to nearby metropolitan areas, allowing them to stay within reach of existing social and professional networks while seeking lower housing costs and job opportunities.One of the clearest examples is the New York-Philadelphia corridor.Some 9,284 Gen Z adults moved from the New York metropolitan area to Philadelphia in 2024, making it the second-most popular migration route for the generation.The move also comes with a significant difference in housing costs. The typical home in the New York metro sells for about $832,000, compared with around $309,000 in Philadelphia, according to Redfin.
Los Angeles-Riverside tops Gen Z migration routes
The most popular Gen Z migration route in 2024 was from Los Angeles to Riverside, California, with 10,261 people making the roughly 60-mile move.New York to Philadelphia ranked second, followed by Los Angeles to San Diego, which attracted 9,237 Gen Z movers, according to the New York Post.San Antonio recorded the largest net gain of Gen Z movers, at 10,678, followed by Washington, DC, with 8,631; Austin, with 8,590; Nashville, with 8,093; and Dallas, with 6,944, Forbes reported.Texas accounted for three of the five biggest destinations, with San Antonio, Austin and Dallas recording a combined net inflow of 26,212 Gen Z adults in 2024.New York’s net Gen Z outflow of 29,554 was followed by Minneapolis at 17,815, Los Angeles at 16,465, Denver at 13,882 and Detroit at 11,696.
Millennials are moving for different reasons
New York also recorded the largest net millennial outflow among US metropolitan areas, losing 42,698 millennials in 2024. Los Angeles followed with a net outflow of 31,107, while Miami lost 21,373, according to the Redfin analysis.The destinations favoured by millennials differed from those attracting Gen Z. Houston recorded the biggest net millennial inflow at 16,365, followed by Dallas with 13,072, Baltimore with 11,724, Las Vegas with 8,860 and Atlanta with 8,753.All five of the top millennial destinations had median home-sale prices below $450,000, Forbes reported.“Gen Zers are chasing opportunity, while millennials are chasing space,” Redfin principal economist Sheharyar Bokhari said.He said younger adults were choosing cities where they could establish careers and social lives, while millennials were more focused on locations where incomes could stretch further and homeownership was more attainable.“But young Americans aren’t fleeing expensive cities for the cheapest place they can find: Most are making relatively short moves, suggesting they want a better job or lower cost of living without giving up their existing networks,” Bokhari said, according to the New York Post.
Shorter moves gain importance
The Redfin analysis also showed that young Americans are becoming less likely to move outside their existing metropolitan areas.About 14% of 19-to-24-year-olds moved outside their metro area in 2024, down from 15% in 2014.The analysis used the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. It defined adult Gen Zers as people aged 19 to 27 and millennials as those aged 28 to 43.The data points to differences in the destinations chosen by the two generations. Gen Z’s leading destinations included San Antonio, Austin, Washington, DC and Nashville, while millennials favoured Houston, Dallas, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Atlanta.Housing costs remain a notable difference between the major cities losing residents and some of the destinations gaining them.San Antonio’s median home-sale price was $264,825, compared with $832,000 in New York, according to Forbes.