SmartAsset ranked 271 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of people between the ages of 25 and 44 who recently moved in.
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Jaclyn DeJohn, CFP
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In just one year, 5.49 million millennials moved to large U.S. cities. While about 73% of these transplants moved to a big city within their current state of residence, another 19% traversed states to start new—and nearly 8% came to these cities from abroad. Millennials are often in their prime earning years, and many have young families, which may significantly impact the communities they join and leave.
With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 271 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of people between the ages of 25 and 44 who recently moved in.
Key Findings
In these two cities, millennials who have recently moved in make up over 12% of the population. Alexandria, Virginia, saw the highest influx of millennials relative to its population, with 12.67%—or 19,486— moving in during 2023, approximately 46% of whom came from out of state. Cambridge, Massachusetts, ranked second, with millennials making up 12.15% of new residents, or 14,197 people, 39% of whom relocated from outside the state.
New York City had the most millennials move in by a factor of at least 2x. Not accounting for its population size, New York City had the most millennials join its perimeters at 362,649 move-ins in one year—accounting for 4.44% of the population. This number of move-ins was double that of Los Angeles, which had the second highest nominal move-ins at 187,210.
These California cities were least attractive to millennials. While Sunnyvale and Santa Clara made the top 10 cities where millennials are moving to, more California cities rank at the bottom of the list. Jurupa Valley ranked last with 2.35% of its population comprising new millennial transplants. Other cities that were among the 10 least popular include Santa Ana (2.58%), Elk Grove (2.60%), San Bernardino (2.78%), Oxnard (2.78%), Ontario (2.96%), El Monte (3.08%), Garden Grove (3.11%) and Modesto (3.12%).
Seattle has the largest segment of millennials relative to its population. Just over 42% of Seattle residents are between the ages of 25 and 44. Seattle also ranked fifth overall for most popular places for millennials to move to, with 11.51% of its population made up of millennials who moved in in 2023.
Top 20 Cities Where Millennials Are Moving
SmartAsset
Alexandria, Virginia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 12.67%
Number of millennials moved in: 19,486
Total population (1 year and older): 153,790
Total number of millennials: 60,815
Millennials moved in from the same county: 4,680
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 5,795
Millennials moved in from a different state: 8,252
Millennials moved in from abroad: 760
Median household income: $110,294
Median monthly housing costs: $2,105
Millennials relative to the total population: 39.54%
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 12.15%
Number of millennials moved in: 14,197
Total population (1 year and older): 116,843
Total number of millennials: 47,510
Millennials moved in from the same county: 4,933
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 3,741
Millennials moved in from a different state: 3,166
Millennials moved in from abroad: 2,356
Median household income: $134,307
Median monthly housing costs: $2,789
Millennials relative to the total population: 40.66%
Denver, Colorado
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 11.78%
Number of millennials moved in: 83,447
Total population (1 year and older): 708,432
Total number of millennials: 290,134
Millennials moved in from the same county: 33,816
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 25,735
Millennials moved in from a different state: 21,655
Millennials moved in from abroad: 2,241
Median household income: $94,157
Median monthly housing costs: $1,886
Millennials relative to the total population: 40.95%
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 11.63%
Number of millennials moved in: 12,189
Total population (1 year and older): 104,836
Total number of millennials: 41,267
Millennials moved in from the same county: 5,909
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 3,813
Millennials moved in from a different state: 1,666
Millennials moved in from abroad: 800
Median household income: $110,401
Median monthly housing costs: $1,894
Millennials relative to the total population: 39.36%
Seattle, Washington
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 11.51%
Number of millennials moved in: 86,049
Total population (1 year and older): 747,884
Total number of millennials: 314,788
Millennials moved in from the same county: 51,638
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 5,166
Millennials moved in from a different state: 23,515
Millennials moved in from abroad: 5,731
Median household income: $120,608
Median monthly housing costs: $2,155
Millennials relative to the total population: 42.09%
Sunnyvale, California
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 11.20%
Number of millennials moved in: 16,754
Total population (1 year and older): 149,575
Total number of millennials: 58,401
Millennials moved in from the same county: 9,111
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 2,967
Millennials moved in from a different state: 2,515
Millennials moved in from abroad: 2,161
Median household income: $189,443
Median monthly housing costs: $3,012
Millennials relative to the total population: 39.04%
Santa Clara, California
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 10.88%
Number of millennials moved in: 14,082
Total population (1 year and older): 129,396
Total number of millennials: 52,349
Millennials moved in from the same county: 8,396
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 2,616
Millennials moved in from a different state: 2,185
Millennials moved in from abroad: 885
Median household income: $166,228
Median monthly housing costs: $2,941
Millennials relative to the total population: 40.46%
Arlington, Virginia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 10.78%
Number of millennials moved in: 24,982
Total population (1 year and older): 231,669
Total number of millennials: 89,891
Millennials moved in from the same county: 7,395
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 5,233
Millennials moved in from a different state: 10,121
Millennials moved in from abroad: 2,234
Median household income: $140,219
Median monthly housing costs: $2,360
Millennials relative to the total population: 38.80%
Austin, Texas
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 10.69%
Number of millennials moved in: 103,738
Total population (1 year and older): 970,338
Total number of millennials: 395,776
Millennials moved in from the same county: 55,591
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 21,403
Millennials moved in from a different state: 19,890
Millennials moved in from abroad: 6,854
Median household income: $91,501
Median monthly housing costs: $1,828
Millennials relative to the total population: 40.79%
Orlando, Florida
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 10.49%
Number of millennials moved in: 33,226
Total population (1 year and older): 316,702
Total number of millennials: 115,668
Millennials moved in from the same county: 17,216
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 8,210
Millennials moved in from a different state: 4,847
Millennials moved in from abroad: 2,953
Median household income: $69,414
Median monthly housing costs: $1,762
Millennials relative to the total population: 36.52%
Washington, District of Columbia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 10%
Number of millennials moved in: 67,013
Total population (1 year and older): 670,127
Total number of millennials: 258,814
Millennials moved in from the same county: 36,390
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 0
Millennials moved in from a different state: 24,465
Millennials moved in from abroad: 6,159
Median household income: $108,210
Median monthly housing costs: $2,083
Millennials relative to the total population: 38.62%
Bellevue, Washington
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.64%
Number of millennials moved in: 14,463
Total population (1 year and older): 149,955
Total number of millennials: 53,175
Millennials moved in from the same county: 7,414
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 749
Millennials moved in from a different state: 3,197
Millennials moved in from abroad: 3,103
Median household income: $158,253
Median monthly housing costs: $2,551
Millennials relative to the total population: 35.46%
Fargo, North Dakota
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.50%
Number of millennials moved in: 12,441
Total population (1 year and older): 130,895
Total number of millennials: 41,073
Millennials moved in from the same county: 8,193
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 685
Millennials moved in from a different state: 2,654
Millennials moved in from abroad: 909
Median household income: $61,422
Median monthly housing costs: $1,038
Millennials relative to the total population: 31.38%
Portland, Oregon
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.46%
Number of millennials moved in: 59,078
Total population (1 year and older): 624,727
Total number of millennials: 229,791
Millennials moved in from the same county: 32,810
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 10,372
Millennials moved in from a different state: 13,704
Millennials moved in from abroad: 2,192
Median household income: $86,057
Median monthly housing costs: $1,746
Millennials relative to the total population: 36.78%
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.38%
Number of millennials moved in: 39,389
Total population (1 year and older): 419,780
Total number of millennials: 158,333
Millennials moved in from the same county: 20,511
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 7,673
Millennials moved in from a different state: 9,757
Millennials moved in from abroad: 1,448
Median household income: $81,001
Median monthly housing costs: $1,506
Millennials relative to the total population: 37.72%
Durham, North Carolina
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.14%
Number of millennials moved in: 26,736
Total population (1 year and older): 292,429
Total number of millennials: 100,080
Millennials moved in from the same county: 11,099
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 6,781
Millennials moved in from a different state: 7,055
Millennials moved in from abroad: 1,801
Median household income: $80,064
Median monthly housing costs: $1,567
Millennials relative to the total population: 34.22%
Atlanta, Georgia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.12%
Number of millennials moved in: 46,086
Total population (1 year and older): 505,496
Total number of millennials: 183,397
Millennials moved in from the same county: 21,683
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 12,776
Millennials moved in from a different state: 9,848
Millennials moved in from abroad: 1,779
Median household income: $85,880
Median monthly housing costs: $1,812
Millennials relative to the total population: 36.28%
Athens, Georgia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.04%
Number of millennials moved in: 11,534
Total population (1 year and older): 127,615
Total number of millennials: 35,962
Millennials moved in from the same county: 5,953
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 1,786
Millennials moved in from a different state: 2,918
Millennials moved in from abroad: 877
Median household income: $53,775
Median monthly housing costs: $1,242
Millennials relative to the total population: 28.18%
Savannah, Georgia
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 9.02%
Number of millennials moved in: 13,163
Total population (1 year and older): 145,911
Total number of millennials: 45,947
Millennials moved in from the same county: 6,310
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 3,240
Millennials moved in from a different state: 3,170
Millennials moved in from abroad: 444
Median household income: $56,823
Median monthly housing costs: $1,355
Millennials relative to the total population: 31.49%
Lakewood, Colorado
Percent of population represented by new millennial transplants: 8.90%
Number of millennials moved in: 13,742
Total population (1 year and older): 154,379
Total number of millennials: 53,793
Millennials moved in from the same county: 3,522
Millennials moved in from a different county, same state: 6,727
Millennials moved in from a different state: 2,699
Millennials moved in from abroad: 794
Median household income: $83,987
Median monthly housing costs: $1,755
Millennials relative to the total population: 34.84%
Data and Methodology
Data comes from the Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2023. This SmartAsset study included 271 cities that had available data and 100,000 or more people aged 1 or over. Millennials were defined as those aged 25 to 44. Cities were ranked by the percentage of the total population represented by millennials who moved into the city in 2023.
