Gen Z, Millennials Leave New York for Texas and Other Growing Metros, Report Says

Young Americans are still moving toward job-rich metros, but Gen Z and millennials are increasingly leaving coastal job centers for other destinations.

San Antonio attracted the most Gen Z movers in 2024, posting a net gain of 10,678 people, according to a Redfin analysis of Census Bureau data published Sept. 15.

Washington ranked second with a net inflow of 8,631 Gen Z residents, followed by Austin, Nashville, and Dallas.

New York, meanwhile, recorded the largest net loss of Gen Z residents, with an outflow of 29,554. Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco were also among the metros that lost the most Gen Z people.

For millennials, Houston led the country with a net inflow of 16,365, followed by Dallas, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.

Millennials were also leaving New York at a faster rate than any other metro area, with a net outflow of 42,698. Los Angeles followed with a loss of 31,107 millennials, while Miami lost 21,373, Washington lost 12,364, and San Francisco lost 11,819.

All five metros with the largest millennial gains had median home-sale prices below $450,000, according to Redfin. By comparison, median home prices in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco can exceed $800,000.

But young Americans are not simply fleeing expensive cities for the cheapest places they can find. According to Sheharyar Bokhari, Redfin’s principal economist, Gen Z adults favor metros with plentiful job opportunities and active social scenes, while millennials are placing greater emphasis on housing costs and space.

“Gen Zers are chasing opportunity, while millennials are chasing space,” Bokhari said.

At the same time, when young Americans move from one metro area to another, they do not always go very far.

According to Redfin, the most common Gen Z move in 2024 was from Los Angeles to the Riverside metro area, located roughly 60 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and covering cities such as Ontario and San Bernardino. Many Riverside residents still commute to their jobs in Los Angeles.

That pattern extends beyond Southern California. All 10 of Redfin’s most common Gen Z migration routes in 2024 were between relatively nearby metro areas, including New York to Philadelphia, Minneapolis to St. Cloud, and Baltimore to Washington.

Overall mobility has also declined. About 14 percent of people ages 19 to 24 moved to a different metro area in 2024, down from roughly 15 percent in 2014, according to Redfin. Among 25- to 34-year-olds, the share fell to about 9 percent from 11 percent over the same period.

Redfin based its analysis on the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, defining adult Gen Zers as those ages 19 to 27 in 2024 and millennials as those ages 28 to 43.