2023 Study: The Year Gen Z Adults Moved More Than Any Other Generation
Generation Z — or Zoomers, as they're sometimes called — have been the subject of many headlines lately. As they come of age, their differences from other generations in terms of workplace habits, home ownership ambitions, political views, and the use of technology are increasingly well-documented.
But what about moving? We know that Gen Z, like the generation before them, is burdened with less favorable economic outlooks, including poor housing affordability, high rent, and student debt. Presumably, in light of these factors, some surveys find a record number of young adults are staying put and living with their parents.
Key Takeaways
- Gen Z is the most mobile generation, as 17% of its adult members moved in 2023, compared to 8% across all ages
- Around 16% of moves by Gen Z adults were to “establish their own household” - the highest percentage of all generations
- Texas welcomed the most Gen Z overall (345,000), but West Virginia saw the highest net gain in Gen Z moves (+138%)
- Vermont (-73%), Alabama (-68%), and Mississippi (-64%) were the states Gen Z were most likely to leave
- The NYC metro area saw the biggest numeric influx of Gen Z members (183,000), but Austin-Round Rock, TX (+106%) had the greatest net gain
Volodymyr Kupriyanov
Volodymyr Kupriyanov (AKA "VK") is a data journalist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He specializes in data-driven storytelling, leveraging data to create compelling, insightful stories. His stories for HireAHelper have been featured in hundreds of publications, including Business Insider, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. When not visualizing and analyzing numbers, he enjoys rock climbing, playing frisbee with his dog, and discovering new places to eat.
Zoom Zoom: Gen Z is the Most Mobile of All Generations in 2023
The thing about America is that, as a nation, we move a lot less now than we did a few decades ago. Save for a blip in 2022 when the percentage went up, the overarching trend has been pointing down since the mid-1980s.However, this isn't true for Gen Z at all. 17% of them moved in 2023 — a number twice as high as the national average. It was also the highest out of all other generations.
By comparison, only 11% of Millennials (Gen Y) moved this year. That share dips even lower for older generations, as 5% of Gen X and just 3% of Baby Boomers changed where they live in 2023. Not only are Gen Z the most mobile generation, but they’re also the ones bucking the overall downward trend in moving. After a drop in 2020, which was likely caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more Gen Z adults have been moving each year. And they're the only generation to do so.
Flying the Nest to Make Their Own: Key Reasons Behind Moves of Gen Z Members
Based on the U.S. Census Bureau data, the most common reason for moving among Gen Z members in 2023 was "establishing their own household", i.e. most likely moving out of their parents’ home. Responsible for around 17% of all Gen Z moves, it was more popular with this generation than any other. Another reason for moving most distinctly popular with Gen Z was “relationship with unmarried partner” (read: move in with a significant other).This reason drove around 8% of moves by Gen Z adults in 2023, which is higher than any other generation and is above the 5% national average. Despite reports of increased home-buying activity, Gen Z has the lowest share of moves associated with becoming a homeowner (≈5%) compared to other generations. At the same time, 9% of Gen Z adults moved for cheaper housing in 2023. The only generation for whom it was higher was Baby Boomers (10%).
Almost Heaven: West Virginia Records Highest Net Gain in Gen Z Moves in 2023
So Gen Z is moving in record numbers, but where are they moving to and from?
In absolute terms, their top destination was Texas, which welcomed 345,000 new Gen Z residents in 2023. However, the state with the greatest net gain of Gen Z moves was West Virginia.
In 2023, 138% more Gen Z adults moved to this state than left it. Four others — Utah (+137%), South Carolina (+136%), Colorado (+107%), and Kansas (+107%) — had at least twice as many members of Generation Z move in than move out.
States by net moves (only interstate moves are included)
| State | Net Gen Z Moves | State | Net Gen Z Moves | |
| West Virginia | 138% | Vermont | -73% | |
| Utah | 137% | Alabama | -68% | |
| South Carolina | 136% | Mississippi | -64% | |
| Colorado | 107% | New York | -57% | |
| Kansas | 107% | Iowa | -53% | |
| Washington | 97% | Minnesota | -53% | |
| Idaho | 96% | North Carolina | -48% | |
| Kentucky | 76% | Wyoming | -47% | |
| Ohio | 54% | California | -43% | |
| Pennsylvania | 52% | Arkansas | -43% |
On the flipside, members of Gen Z were most likely to leave Vermont (-73%), Alabama (-68%), and Mississippi (-64%). It's worth noting that New York (-57%) and California (-43%) are states that often come out on top of net outflow rankings, and they feature here in the 4th and the 9th spot respectively. And speaking of the volume of moves, California alone saw over 415,000 Gen Z people leave the state in 2023.To see what the Gen Z moving patterns looked like for all other states, check out our interactive map below.
Austin, TX Metro is a Gen Z Magnet: Top Destinations for Gen Z Moves
Texas and Florida didn’t feature high in state rankings, but their metros sure are up there for moving destinations among Generation Z members.
Austin-Round Rock, TX (+106%) is in first place — it had twice as many Gen Z members move in than out of it. Florida, on the other hand, is represented by metro areas around Tampa, FL (+55%) and Jacksonville, FL (+38%), both posting healthy net gains.
In line with state-level findings, Columbia, SC (+82%), Provo-Orem, UT (+53%), and Colorado Springs, CO (+37%) feature among the 10 metropolitan areas with the highest net gain in moves by Gen Z. Metros by net moves
| Metro | Net Gen Z Moves | Metro | Net Gen Z Moves | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +106% | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | -39% | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | +88% | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | -37% | |
| Columbia, SC | +82% | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | -33% | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | +71% | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | -32% | |
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | +78% | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | -26% | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | +55% | Pittsburgh, PA | -24% | |
| Provo-Orem, UT | +53% | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | -24% | |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | +51% | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | -24% | |
| Jacksonville, FL | +38% | San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | -22% | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | +37% | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | -20% |
The other side of the table is dominated by metropolitan areas in California. As some of the most expensive places to live in the United States, metro areas around cities such as San Jose, CA (-39%), Los Angeles, CA (-24%), and San Francisco, CA (-22%) all many more Gen Z members leave than relocate here.Incidentally, Florida also has a metropolitan area with one of the highest net losses of Gen Z residents. About 24% more members of Generation Z moved out of Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL than moved there in 2023.Curious about what the situation is near you? We’ve put all metros with a significant number of moves by Gen Z adults onto this interactive map.
Sources and Methodology
All data on moves, their origins, destinations, and reasons behind them was taken from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey and its Annual Social and Economic Supplements, as available via IPUMS. All estimates and percentages are based on moves within the United States.
For this study, we adapted the definition of generations from Beresford Research which defined them based on their age in 2023 as follows:
Gen Z: 18* – 26
Gen Y (Millennials): 27 – 42
Gen X: 43 – 58
Baby Boomers: 59 – 77
Technically, Gen Z includes anyone from age 11, but our analysis only included moves made by adults.
Net gain and loss for states and metropolitan areas was calculated as follows:
# of people moving into the state or city, to
the # of people moving out of the state or city,
expressed as a percentage (%)
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