Millennials Continue to Leave Big Cities

Census figures show smaller drop in young urban residents than previous years, but many still leaving for cheaper housing, better schools

New York lost almost 38,000 people age 25 to 39 last year, U.S. Census data show. PHOTO: RON ANTONELLI/BLOOMBERG NEWS

By Janet Adamy and Paul Overberg

Sept. 26, 2019 12:01 am ET

Large U.S. cities lost tens of thousands of millennial and younger Gen X residents last year, according to Census figures released Thursday that offer fresh signs of cooling urban growth.

Cities with more than a half million people collectively lost almost 27,000 residents age 25 to 39 in 2018, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of the figures. It was the fourth consecutive year that big cities saw this population of young adults shrink. New York, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington and Portland, Ore., were among those that lost large numbers of residents in this age group.

Ebb and Flow

Millennials and younger Gen Xers are movingaway from cities after boosting urban growthin the wake of the recession.

Change in large city populations from a yearearlier, ages 25 to 39

.thousand

2008

’10

’12

’14

’16

’18

-125

-100

-75

-50

-25

0

25

Younger Millennials and recent collegegraduates are still moving to cities, thoughthat pace has generally slowed in recent years.

Change in large city populations from a yearearlier, ages 20 to 24

Source: Census Bureau

Note: Cities are those with populations of 500,000 ormore

.thousand

2008

’10

’12

’14

’16

’18

0

25

50

75

100

125

The drop in young urban residents last year was smaller than in 2017, when big cities lost nearly 54,000 residents in this age group. But the sustained declines signal a sharp reversal from the beginning of the decade, when young adults flooded into cities and helped lead an urban revival.

The 2018 drop was driven by a fall in the number of urban residents between 35 and 39 years old. While the number of adults younger than that rose in big cities, those gains have tapered off in recent years.

Separate Census figures show the majority of people in these age groups who leave cities move to nearby suburbs or the suburbs of other metro areas.

City officials say that high housing costs and poor schools are main reasons that people are leaving. Although millennials—the cohort born between 1981 and 1996—are marrying and having children at lower rates than previous generations, those who do are following in their footsteps and often settling down in suburbs.

“They might prefer to stay in the city for lifestyle reasons but

might end up leaving because of the quality of the public goods,” said Katherine Levine Einstein, an assistant professor of political science at Boston University.

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Prof. Einstein helped lead a 2017 study of U.S. mayors that found that only 13% said the housing stock fit the needs of their constituents “very well” or “extremely well,” a sentiment that was true in rich and poor cities alike. “They see a really serious mismatch between what their city’s current housing stock is and what their residents need,” she said.

New York lost almost 38,000 people age 25 to 39 last year, a decline that was roughly twice the size that it experienced each of the previous three years. That drop coincided with the city’s first overall population decline in more than a decade in 2018.

Among the big cities that gained large numbers of young adults were Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Austin, Seattle, Denver and Columbus.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889031)

>> Although millennials—the cohort born between 1981 and 1996—are marrying and having children at lower rates than previous generations, those who do are following in their footsteps and often settling down in suburbs.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889066)

Anyway, why is this even news?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889107)

People saw the trends for a few years and thought that millennials would completely reject suburbs. No one wants to admit that millennials are just poorer than previous generations so their marriage, family creation, and house purchasing tends to be delayed.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889196)

yep. especially banks who are cutting headcount. 50% of the back office can be replaced with algos or blockchain ledgers. 90% of traders already replaced with automation. everyone else making less than $300k needs to move out as it's not worth the stress and lifestyle. better to make $150k in Dallas even if u take a 50% haircut.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889140)

lol.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889280)

I moved to flyover for an 80k government attorney job. I probably work 10 hours a week on avg, and none of it is nearly as stressful or thought intensive as biglaw

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889636)

But don't worry, libs are coming for those too.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889155)

And the schools are trash.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889643)

You have to send your kids to private school, 8-10k a year minimum, and very possibly much more.

It's generally quite safe, it has amazing resources and options but to live what is considered a "normal" middle class life requires an income far above what would be considered middle class, or even upper middle class.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889682)

The "affordable parts of Montclair are bad and the good parts your buy-in is around 700k. Port Washington is a 1mm+ home town.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889965)

Lmfao

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889970)

ljl if they move and continue to vote dem

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38889492)

It wouldn't be that hard to make living in NYC better for families, but there's no interest in that.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4351514&forum_id=2#38891832)