Millennials Are Moving to These 10 US Cities

Two Florida cities, Tampa and Jacksonville, were among the most attractive cities in the United States for millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996, moving to other states in 2023, according to a recent study by California-based moving company HireAHelper.

While Florida is considered a retirees’ paradise, the study by HireAHelper shows that younger generations are also attracted by the Sunshine State’s warmer weather and relatively lower cost of living, with Tampa topping the list of cities millennials moved to last year.

The study found that the metropolitan area of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater saw 95 percent more millennials move in than leave in 2023, while another Florida city, Jacksonville, saw 54 percent more millennials arrive. Florida overall saw 38 percent more millennials move in than move out in 2023.

Between Tampa and Jacksonville, respectively first and third in the ranking, was the metropolitan area of Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada, which saw 56 percent more millennials move in than leave last year.

The other metropolitan areas that saw the most millennials move in were Nashville-Davidson-Franklin, Tennessee (53 percent); Austin-Round Rock, Texas (47 percent); Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut (40 percent); Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona (39 percent); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (38 percent); Richmond, Virginia (38 percent); and Raleigh, North Carolina (37 percent).

The three main reasons leading millennials to move across state lines were “wanting new or better housing,” “new job or job transfer” or “to establish [their] own household,” according to the HireAHelper study, which analyzed data from the United States Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and its Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

The U.S. cities losing the highest number of millennials to other metropolitan areas were the states of New York (-52 percent) and California (-39 percent), including New York City and San Jose, which in 2023 lost over 50 percent more millennials than saw moving in.

The metropolitan areas of New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania experienced the biggest loss of millennials compared to the number of those moving in, at -56 percent. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California, followed with -40 percent.

While Texas and Florida were among the states with the highest overall rate of millennials moving in last year, some of their cities experienced a great number of millennials moving away. The metropolitan area of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach reported 27 percent more millennials leaving than moving in; El Paso, Texas, reported a loss of -29 percent.

Are you a millennial who moved across state lines recently? Tell us what drove you to this decision and where you moved to by contacting [email protected].