Map shows cities where Gen Z and millennials are moving to

Gen Zers ditch NYC to set up house down the highway in Philly

“Gen Zers are chasing opportunity, while millennials are chasing space”

Map shows cities where Gen Z and millennials are moving to

Both generations are leaving pricey coastal cities, but heading to different metros in pursuit of different dreams.

Gen Zers are fleeing NYC faster than any other US metro — flocking to a city just 90 miles away

New York recorded the nation’s largest net outflow of both Gen Zers and millennials, as younger residents sought cheaper housing and more space elsewhere.

THE MAMDANI EFFECT: Gen Z Is Fleeing New York Faster Than Any Other U.S. Metro — and Thousands Aren’t Going Far

New York City continues to attract young people looking to build careers and lives in the nation’s largest city, but new data shows that members of Generation Z are also leaving the New York metropolitan area in greater numbers than any other major metro in the country. The New York metro recorded a net loss of 29,554 Gen Z adults in 2024, the largest outflow of that generation among U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a new Redfin analysis based on Census Bureau data. For thousands of those young adults, however, leaving New York did not mean moving particularly far away. Philadelphia emerged as one of the biggest destinations for departing New York-area Gen Zers, with 9,284 making the roughly 90-mile move south. The New York-to-Philadelphia migration was the second-most-common Gen Z relocation route in the country, surpassed only by the flow from Los Angeles to Riverside, California. One obvious attraction is the dramatic difference in housing costs. Redfin reported that a typical home in the New York metropolitan area sells for approximately $832,000, while the comparable figure in Philadelphia is roughly $309,000. At those prices, a buyer could theoretically purchase nearly three typical Philadelphia homes for the cost of one typical home in the New York area. The findings indicate that many young Americans seeking more affordable housing or improved career opportunities are not necessarily moving across the country or abandoning the regions where they have established their lives. Instead, many are relocating relatively short distances, allowing them to pursue lower living costs or different job opportunities while remaining close enough to maintain relationships with relatives, friends and professional contacts. “Younger adults are gravitating toward cities where they can launch careers and their social lives, while millennials are more focused on places where a paycheck stretches further and buying a home is attainable,” Redfin principal economist Sheharyar Bokhari said in the report. “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.” The most heavily traveled Gen Z migration route in 2024 was from Los Angeles to Riverside, where 10,261 young adults made the approximately 60-mile move. New York to Philadelphia ranked second, while another California route — Los Angeles to San Diego — was third, with 9,237 Gen Zers making that move. New York’s population losses were not limited to the youngest generation of adults. The metro area also posted the country’s largest net departure of millennials, losing 42,698 members of that age group. Los Angeles ranked behind New York in millennial departures, recording a net outflow of 31,107, while Miami registered a net loss of 21,373 millennials. The data also revealed a notable difference between what Gen Z adults and millennials appear to be seeking when they relocate. “Gen Zers are chasing opportunity, while millennials are chasing space,” Bokhari said. For millennials, metropolitan areas offering comparatively affordable larger homes proved especially attractive. Houston recorded the nation’s largest net influx of millennials, gaining 16,365 members of the generation. Dallas, Baltimore, Las Vegas and Atlanta rounded out the five metropolitan areas with the largest millennial inflows. All five of those destinations had median home-sale prices below $450,000, according to Redfin, highlighting the role housing affordability appears to be playing in millennial relocation decisions. The analysis was based on data from the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. For purposes of the study, Redfin classified adult members of Generation Z as people between the ages of 19 and 27, while millennials were defined as those between 28 and 43. {Matzav.com}