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Where Are Millennials and Gen Z Moving To?

Monday, June 19, 2023
A high angle shot of a group of Gen Zs, and Millennials friends sitting on a sofa with a friend lying across them

Gen Z and Millennials may not have that much in common. Probably due to the age difference between Millennials being born between 1981 and 1996 and Gen Z from 1997 to 2012. But, there is some overlap between the Gen Zers who were born in 1997 and the Millennials born in 1996. Some of the things that these generations have in common are relocation patterns. Either for work, relationships, or fun. Find out why and where Gen Z and Millennials are moving. So, stay tuned for more generational moving patterns.

Where Are Millennials Moving?

A coffee shop filled with Millennials and Gen Zs eating, talking and scrolling their phones

Millennials' moving patterns are a little different than Gen Z. Anyway, Millennials are moving to cities like Austin, San Diego, and Memphis being one of the popular ones. Austin makes the list because of the quirky reputation it gives out. Furthermore, there are a lot of job opportunities in the tech industry in the city as well as more affordable home prices. 

The former factors have inspired a lot of Millennials to move to Austin, which as you know is in Texas. So much so that the city has grown by 2.9% due to the influx of in particular Millennials moving in from July 2013 to July 2014. Furthermore, the city has about 24% more residents who are between the ages of 25 and 34 years old when compared to the rest of the United States.

Millennials are also moving to San Diego, due to great all-year-round weather, the growing biotech industry, and the landscape. Not to mention the many great colleges in the city. However, the average house cost is about $585, 000 which can be a setback for many people. But, the pros outweigh the cons considering what the city has to offer. Furthermore, many Millennials seem to opt for communities that have a walking-around culture where there is a mixture of commercial and residential areas which San Diego has plenty of.

A Millennial talking to his team while presenting a new project to work on

The Southern city of Memphis has more going for it than being in a song. The draw of the city is the low cost of living as well as the bonus of affordably priced homes, making it a popular place for Millennials to move to. Therefore, the "American Dream" can be a lot easier to reach in this particular city it would seem. However, Memphis is not stuck in the past since its average household income is on the rise. This is increasing faster than other cities in the United States. Therefore, Millennials can afford a high quality of life with a low cost of living. This is the main Millennials’ moving trend in Memphis so far.

Other cities that are a highlight for Millennials to move to are Pittsburgh and Seattle. The former is drawing people in because of the low housing costs, the wonderful waterfront, as well as outstanding nightlife. And, the city is also a great one for young business-minded professionals to start their careers in.

The latter, Seattle, has the most number of Millennials moving in. The prices of houses are on the high end but Seattle makes up for this due to its tech community being on the "up and up." Expedia, Microsoft, and Amazon, others have made their homes in the city. Therefore, there are work opportunities to be found in the city of Seattle. But, there is more to life than just work and even career-oriented Millennials know this. Seattle also has this aspect of life covered with its range of "hip" things to do, and the city is also rich in culture. There can never be a dull day in Seattle. 

Four millennial friends having a meal together while smiling at the camera

Overall, Millennials are moving to cities that offer a lot of job opportunities, a lot of cultures, nightlife as well as even some fitness studios around for good measure. Millennials are also aiming to live away from the center of the city and go more towards the suburbs. Certainly, those that are aiming to start families when their incomes allow. 

Millennials are moving to homes that have a few bedrooms in them as well as garden space for pets, and children. Or just themselves to chill in, is not an uncommon practice since this is also a main draw for a lot of them to decide where to move to. But, that all depends on what job they get. It would be quite fair to say that Millennials job relocation is the main goal for them, as they are viewed as being quite a career-oriented generation.

Where are Gen Zs Moving?

A Gen Z friends sitting at the table with their phones and laptops studying and working together

Gen Z moving to big cities such as New York, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and others is becoming an idea as old as time. Well, that is what it would seem. NYC has gained about 3 043 Gen Zers which is the largest overall gain for the Big Apple across all the age groups. Other cities that Gen Z is being drawn to are Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago. What is interesting is that Gen Z is moving into cities while Millennials and other generations are moving out. 

For example, New York City has experienced a decrease of about 96, 600 of other generations moving away, but an increase of Gen Z moving in. Gen Z's moving trend is against the others in that they seem to prefer the high action that cities have to offer over the calmness that suburbs are known to have.

The other popular cities, in no particular order, are the following:

  • Atlanta
  • Austin
  • Boston
  • Boulder
  • Charlotte
  • Columbia
  • Fort Collins
  • Madison
  • Nashville
  • Norfolk
  • Philadelphia
  • Pittsburgh
  • Providence
  • Savannah
  • Seattle
  • Syracuse
  • Tempe
  • Washington  
  • Worcester
A young Gen Z lady in a bright red beanie and dressed in all black, standing in the middle of two graffiti portraits

However, Gen Z moving trends may change when people get older. So while Gen Z is enjoying the high life of the city now, there is a chance that they may opt for the life of the suburbs when they get older. Or when they want a quieter adventure. This is what seems to happen from generation to generation so it may not be a huge surprise in the many years to come.

Gen Z moving patterns can also be work-oriented. Hence, wanting to move to the cities for work, career and even life opportunities. But, these latter points can be based on the individual and we are only looking at the grand overall umbrella of what we suspect Gen Z and Millennials moving trends to be. 

Basically, move to where you want to live while you can! But, being among more people in your age-range is never a bad thing.

Shyft Can Help Gen Z and Millennials Relocate

 A young Gen Z in roller blades leaning down to pose for a photo in Los Angeles

While there are generational differences, one thing that can remind the same is that relocating and moving can be tough. Not only would you be packing up to start anew, leaving your current life behind for a new adventure, but you would have to make sure that your move is completely organized from the start to beyond the end. While everything gets better the more you do it, sometimes it is just better to get help.

Regardless of how much moving experience you have, everyone can have some help. This is where Shyft, the world’s  first tech-driven moving platform comes into play. If you want people with experience to aid you with your moving progress you can reach out to Shyft to organize your move for you. Doing this will help decrease your stress, and give you more time to do what you need to do and want, and working with Shyft will even save you money.

You can get to know us better by checking out our site. It is here that we have what we do as well as what we offer. One of our services is corporate relocation. Therefore, if you have a company and employees that you wish to move to a new city, ask us to help you out. We have a secure app that lets you send relocation funds directly to your individual employees and you can keep track of how these funds are going.

A group of Gen Z people sitting on bleachers chilling together

It is also on our site that you can get in contact with us by filling out our short form on the opening page. When you send this form you would then have to download the secure, and free mobile app: Shyft Next. Likewise, you can download the app and use it to contact us. Either way, a Move Coach will give you a video call through this app.

This call will only be done at the time that you say, not before or way after, unlike a few other moving companies. During this first call, you can question your Move Coach about any moving-related topics. Plus, it is also here that they will create your inventory list while you give them a virtual tour of your current location. This is so that they do not step foot into your home, and make sure that you do not wait around for them to show up.

When the tour is done and the call is over, you will get this inventory list within half an hour from the end of the call. This particular inventory list is already 95% accurate. But, you can make it more. Let's say... 100%?

Shyft Technology for Tech Savvy Generations

Gen Z taking a selfie with friends on an iphone

All you have to do to take the list from 95% to a 100% is by adding items that were accidentally missed, removing some that you changed your mind on, and even leaving notes on the more important ones. This can be done on the secure Shyft Next app. When all is said and done, you send this improved inventory list to your Move Coach. They will take it to use it for sourcing moving quotes from trusted, Shyft-verified, and vetted moving companies that are in our secure network.

This is how we find three or more moving quotes to send to you. Every quote is from a different moving company. Not only will you receive these quotes, but you will also give information about the companies. The goal of these is so that you can make an informed decision on which company to work with. You can compare the info and quotes on the app.

When you have decided on the one for your moving experience, you will let us know. We will lock them down straight away, so they do not get snapped up by another person. The quotes are fixed meaning that there are no hidden costs. What you see is what you pay. Furthermore, if you change something on your inventory list, the price will not change. 

A millennial man holding his surfboard on the beach looking away to the ocean after moving to seaside

Another service that we offer is our secure online marketplace called Home & Lifestyle. This is found on our site and it has a bunch of products on it such as office equipment, furniture, and more. All the products that you order and buy through our marketplace are delivered directly to your new home. Therefore, you are saving time and costs by not having to figure out how to get them from one place to another. There are also a range of services to help you out such as mortgages, storage, and more. All the items in the marketplace (physical stuff and services) come with a discount. Saving you more money.

Throughout your whole moving process and moving experience, you can contact us seven days a week. You can ask us questions that are related to moving, and ask for moving-related advice. Or even if you just want to check in with what is happening, and how it is going. We are here to help Gen Zers, and Millennials reach their new home. All while giving them peace of mind, and savings in their pockets.

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