Believe it or not, Millennials are growing up. A new local survey shows that Millennial movers are shedding their carefree vibes and are more concerned with careers when it comes to where they live. Whether it’s higher pay or a convenient commute, these Millennials are thinking practical when it comes to putting down roots.
In fact, new mover data for Millennials (aged 22-38) shows that they’re starting to sound a lot like their parents! Our Town America commissioned the local survey of more 650 Millennial men and women who have moved in the last five years.
See the full transcript of our survey to find new mover information and what new movers are looking for in their favorite cities. Also view accompanying Infographic here.
Firstly, the survey determined personal information about our respondents. With more detailed info on our Millennial movers, we were able to put together a much more accurate picture of the new mover data.
• 3.8% said 1981.
• 4.9% said 1982.
• 3.7% said 1983.
• 7.8% said 1984.
• 6.6% said 1985.
• 8.1% said 1986.
• 4.8% said 1987.
• 7.1% said 1988.
• 9.4% said 1989.
• 6.7% said 1990.
• 8.6% said 1991.
• 9.4% said 1992.
• 6.9% said 1993.
• 4.3% said 1994.
• 4.4% said 1995.
• 3.5% said 1996.
• 49.5% said male.
• 50.5% said female.
• 27.6% said ‘Purchased a new home.’
• 100.0% said ‘Moved into a new residence.’
• 26.5% said ‘Got Married.’
• 31.9% said ‘Had a child.’
• 36.3% said ‘Purchased a pet.’
• 29.4% said ‘Went on an international vacation.’
• 57.7% said ‘Purchased a new vehicle.’
The next step of gathering our new mover information was determining where Millennials are coming from and where they want to go with their new move. By finding the living situations for Millennial movers we put together a clear picture of our respondents.
• 3.8% said they have moved 1 time.
• 8.1% said they have moved 2 times.
• 14.4% said they have moved 3 times.
• 14.7% said they have moved 4 times.
• 8.3% said they have moved 5 times.
• 6.4% said they have moved 6 times.
• 44.2% said they have moved more than 6 times.
• 4.6% said within the neighborhood.
• 8.9% said within the town limits.
• 14.0% said within the county.
• 25.2% said within the State.
• 36.7% said out of State.
• 10.7% said out of the Country.
• 6.6% said they live at home with their parents and pay rent.
• 4.0% said they live at home with their parents and don’t pay rent.
• 4.3% said they live with relatives and pay rent.
• 1.7% said they live with relatives and don’t pay rent.
• 8.4% said they live with roommates and pay rent.
• 0.9% said they live with roommates and don’t pay rent.
• 31.7% said they rent with a significant other.
• 19.2% said they own with a significant other.
• 15.5% said they rent a place alone.
• 7.7% said they own a place.
• 66.7% said yes, but they’re in no rush because they’re not sure they can afford it.
• 18.8% said yes, as soon as possible. They can’t take it anymore.
• 14.5% said no, they’re fine living with their parents.
• 59.4% said they can’t afford to move out because their job doesn’t pay enough.
• 27.5% said they can’t afford to move out because they don’t have a job.
• 2.9% said they can’t afford to move out because of student loan debt.
• 4.3% said they don’t want to move out. They like living with their parents.
• 5.8% said that they’re a bit afraid to move out because of all the responsibility.
• 36.8% said they live within the city limits.
• 10.9% said they live within 5 miles or less.
• 14.3% said they live 5-10 miles away.
• 14.3% said they live 10-20 miles away.
• 9.2% said they live 20-30 miles away.
• 5.5% said they live 30-40 miles away.
• 3.7% said they live 40-50 miles away.
• 5.4% said they live more than 50 miles away.
• 13.2% said California.
• 4.9% said Florida.
• 4.8% said Illinois.
• 3.5% said Michigan.
• 7.5% said New York.
• 4.3% said Ohio.
• 4.8% said Pennsylvania.
• 6.6% said Texas.
• 2.3% said Alabama.
• 1.1% said Alaska.
• 2.3% said Arizona.
• 1.2% said Arkansas.
• 1.1% said Colorado.
• 1.4% said Connecticut.
• 0.5% said Delaware.
• 2.3% said Georgia.
• 0.9% said Hawaii.
• 0.6% said Idaho.
• 2.5% said Indiana.
• 0.8% said Iowa.
• 0.9% said Kansas.
• 0.6% said Kentucky.
• 1.2% said Louisiana.
• 0.8% said Maine.
• 1.8% said Maryland.
• 2.5% said Massachusetts.
• 0.6% said Minnesota.
• 1.1% said Mississippi.
• 2.1% said Missouri.
• 0.2% said Montana.
• 0.9% said Nebraska.
• 0.6% said Nevada.
• 0.8% said New Hampshire.
• 2.9% said New Jersey.
• 0.6% said New Mexico.
• 2.6% said North Carolina.
• 1.2% said Oklahoma.
• 1.4% said Oregon.
• 0.2% said Rhode Island.
• 1.8% said South Carolina.
• 0.2% said South Dakota.
• 2.1% said Tennessee.
• 0.5% said Utah.
• 1.7% said Virginia.
• 1.7% said Washington.
• 0.6% said West Virginia.
• 1.7% said Wisconsin.
• 0.3% said Wyoming.
• 4.0% said Arizona.
• 10.4% said California.
• 5.4% said Florida.
• 3.7% said Georgia.
• 3.2% said Illinois.
• 3.2% said Indiana
• 3.2% said Michigan.
• 3.1% said Missouri.
• 6.7% said New York.
• 4.6% said North Carolina.
• 3.5% said Ohio.
• 4.9% said Pennsylvania.
• 8.3% % said Texas.
• 1.4% said Alabama.
• 0.3% said Alaska.
• 0.9% said Arkansas.
• 2.3% said Colorado.
• 0.6% said Connecticut.
• 0.3% said Delaware.
• 0.2% said Hawaii.
• 0.8% said Idaho.
• 1.1% said Iowa.
• 0.6% said Kansas.
• 0.8% said Kentucky.
• 1.4% said Louisiana.
• 0.6% said Maine.
• 2.0% said Maryland.
• 1.8% said Massachusetts.
• 1.1% said Minnesota.
• 0.9% said Mississippi.
• 0.2% said Montana.
• 0.9% said Nebraska.
• 1.4% said Nevada.
• 0.5% said New Hampshire.
• 2.5% said New Jersey.
• 0.9% said New Mexico.
• 0.9% said Oklahoma.
• 1.8% said Oregon.
• 0.6% said Rhode Island.
• 1.5% said South Carolina.
• 0.2% said South Dakota.
• 2.3% said Tennessee.
• 0.3% said Utah.
• 0.8% said Virginia.
• 1.4% said Washington.
• 0.9% said West Virginia.
• 1.5% said Wisconsin.
• 0.2% said Wyoming.
We wanted to know what Millennials want from their dream city. What were the traits that make new cities attractive to this demographic? Some of the answers shown in our survey of new movers surprised us!
• 28.2% said yes.
• 71.8% said no.
• 33.1% said it’s affordable.
• 24.7% said their family lives there.
• 24.8% said their friends live there.
• 54.3% said good weather.
• 59.7% said good scenery.
• 31.9% said it’s a great place for their kids.
• 19.2% said it’s a great place for their pets.
• 44.8% said lots of job opportunities.
• 38.2% said the restaurants are phenomenal.
• 21.8% said lots of young people.
• 38.7% said it’s culturally diverse.
• 48.8% said they can do the things they want to do outdoors.
• 24.8% said the daily commute is easy.
• 37.4% said the social life is fantastic.
• 33.0% said good night life.
• 28.2% said good music scene.
• 31.0% said lots of theatre/art/culture.
• 13.7% said because it’s open to LGBT and people of all sexual orientations.
• 6.7% said other responses.
• 6 respondents said they were not sure.
• 4 respondents said they did not want to live in a city.
• 3 respondents said it is close to the beach.
• 3 respondents said it is safe.
• 1 respondent said a lot of countryside.
• 1 respondent said areas around to see and travel to.
• 1 respondent said close to airport to travel.
• 1 respondent said culture, history, architecture, food, mythology, location.
• 1 respondent said Disney World.
• 1 respondent said excellent shopping.
• 1 respondent said family is closer.
• 1 respondent said homes with property.
• 1 respondent said they can start up their business.
• 1 respondent said they grew up there.
• 1 respondent said they lived there in a past life.
• 1 respondent said they have visited and absolutely fell in love with it.
• 1 respondent said it is a good place for their industry of work in particular.
• 1 respondent said it is not in Connecticut.
• 1 respondent said because they want to be near the ocean.
• 1 respondent said because Manchester United and near Scotland for other sporting events they enjoy.
• 1 respondent said it is a nice area.
• 1 respondent said it is off-grid.
• 1 respondent said because of school district.
• 1 respondent said slow paced, down to earth.
• 1 respondent said the history and culture.
• 1 respondent said to be a comedian.
• 1 respondent said because it is wine country.
• 1 respondent said it would be nice to start a new life in a different country.
• 1 respondent said because it’s beautiful.
• 1 respondent said because it’s a sports city.
• 1 respondent said because of the strong community.
• 39.9% said price.
• 4.1% said square footage.
• 27.1% said neighborhood.
• 7.2% said amenities.
• 15.6% said proximity to work.
• 6.0% said proximity to restaurants/social scene/fun activities.
• 61.5% said yes.
• 38.5% said no.
• 47.6% said yes, making sure their pet(s) is comfortable and happy is a top priority.
• 22.4% said yes, but it wasn’t a top priority.
• 22.4% said no, they have indoor pet(s), so they can live anywhere with them.
• 7.5% said no, their pet(s) are not a factor when choosing where they live.
• 20.2% said Big City Life- living in the middle of the action.
• 35.3% said Happy Medium- living a short uber ride from the city.
• 25.3% said Suburban Home- living farther out from the city in a new suburban neighborhood.
• 19.2% said Rural Countryside- living way out from the city surrounded by a lot of land in the country.
People are always talking about the housing market, but our new mover data shows that Millennials want the same things their parents want (Hmm…This sentence doesn’t really make sense. Not sure exact what is meant by it. Is it supposed to imply that people think the housing market will crash because they assume millennials don’t want to buy their own homes?). Millennials movers want to buy their own homes and enjoy stability in their relationships.
• 83.7% said yes.
• 16.3% said no.
• 22.6% said owning a home is too much responsibility.
• 34.0% said they don’t believe they’ll ever be able to afford a home on their own.
• 23.6% said they don’t want to take on any more debt.
• 24.5% said they want to stay flexible and be able to move to other places.
• 18.9% said they want to use their money on travel and/or experiences.
• 3.8% said they don’t see owning a home as a good investment.
• 28.3% said other.
• 26 respondents said they already own their home.
• 1 respondent said they do not care to perform maintenance.
• 1 respondent said they are fixing their credit.
• 1 respondent said their parents are gifting them their home.
• 1 respondent said they want to be able to pick up and leave as they please.
• 46.6% said yes, and it worked out great because they’re still with the person.
• 16.9% said yes, and even though it didn’t work out, they don’t regret it.
• 7.1% said yes, but it didn’t work out and they really regret it. They won’t do it again.
• 29.4% said no, they would never move for another person.
• 21.6% said yes.
• 78.4% said no.
• 10.9% said excellent, the best they’ve ever experienced.
• 17.6% said it’s pretty good, they’ve had some good dates.
• 25.3% said just ok, it could be better.
• 8.3% said it’s awful, they haven’t found anyone they’d like to date.
• 37.9% said they’re taken (dating or married) and don’t have an opinion on the dating scene.
• 33.0% said uncomfortable because they like to know people before they move.
• 67.0% said excited because they like discovering new places and meeting new people.
• 24.4% said they prefer to meet new people online.
• 75.6% said they prefer to meet new people in person.
• 50.0% said yes, they prefer to live near other millennials who have similar interests.
• 50.0% said no, they like to live with younger and older people too. They like a mix of ages where they live.
It feels like everything is political these days. It comes as no surprise that politics can matter a lot to Millennial new movers and what they’re looking for in their communities.
• 14.7% said yes, it was important to them to live in a more liberal place.
• 8.9% said yes, it was important to them to live in a more conservative place.
• 7.8% said yes, it’s important to them to live in a place where both conservative and liberal parties are active and engaged.
• 4.8% said yes, it was important for them to live in a quieter place away from politics.
• 63.8% said politics didn’t impact their move at all.
• 20.7% said yes, it was important to them to know they’d find a place of worship and/or community with whom they enjoyed worshiping.
• 79.3% said no, religion did not play a role in where they chose to move.
• 30.1% said yes, living in a city that is open to the LGBT community is very important to them.
• 13.8% said no, they don’t want to live in an LGBT community.
• 56.1% said they don’t care either way.
• 30.5% said yes.
• 69.5% said no.
• 59.8% said it was a better job for their skill set.
• 31.7% said they love the company culture.
• 34.2% said the company offered a stronger benefits package.
• 46.2% said the company offered more money than their previous job.
• 15.6% said the company offered to pay for their relocation.
• 9.5% said other.
• 3 respondents said it was their first job out of college.
• 2 respondents said because they were military moves.
• 1 respondent said grad school.
• 1 respondent said they moved for school.
• 1 respondent said they would just get in trouble at home, so they had to get a change of scenery.
• 1 respondent said it was for their husband’s job.
• 1 respondent said they moved for medical school and their husband.
• 1 respondent said their previous job was awful.
• 1 respondent said because they pursued a new career path.
• 1 respondent said their previous job played with their hours.
• 1 respondent said they quit their old job & got a new job.
• 1 respondent said the company is one of only three in the country that does their exact type of preferred work.
• 1 respondent said to keep pursuing their PhD.
• 1 respondent said because of the travel opportunity.
• 1 respondent said because they wanted to move back to Michigan.
• 1 respondent said for a change of scenery.
• 71.0% said a high paying job in the middle of nowhere.
• 29.0% said a lower paying job in your dream city.
• 58.3% said yes, a good job is more important to me than the right city.
• 41.7% said no, if they don’t like where they live, they won’t be happy, despite a great job.
Two things that Millennials were sure about was that they wanted their dream city to be convenient and have plenty to do. From rideshares to restaurants, Millennials want stuff to do in their new city.
• 69.0% said yes.
• 31.0% said no.
• 48.6% said yes.
• 51.4% said no.
• 57.4% said yes.
• 42.6% said no.
• 52.9% said yes.
• 47.1% said no.
• 66.1% said concerts.
• 26.7% said plays/dramatic productions.
• 23.3% said competition events (mud runs, 5ks, marathons, etc.)
• 55.4% said sporting events.
• 69.5% food festivals.
• 50.8% said bar hopping/ wine tasting events.
• 45.7% said family themed events for kids.
• 4.1% said other.
• 14 respondents said none.
• 2 respondents said fairs and carnivals.
• 2 respondents said music concerts/festivals.
• 1 respondent said anime conventions.
• 1 respondent said clubbing events.
• 1 respondent said different kind of races.
• 1 respondent said gaming conventions.
• 1 respondent said film festivals, technology exhibitions, and art gallery events.
• 1 respondent said reptile conventions.
• 1 respondent said restaurants/farmer’s markets
• 1 respondent said park events.
Many people assume Millennials are so obsessed with their phones that they don’t know their neighbors. Our new mover information found that the opposite was true! See what our survey said about new movers and how they feel about their neighborhoods and their local businesses.
• 59.8% said yes.
• 40.2% said no.
• 84.7% said yes.
• 15.3% said no.
• 60.9% said highly probable.
• 37.1% said somewhat probable.
• 2.0% said not probable at all.
• 45.2% said yes.
• 54.8% said no.
• 41.3% said yes.
• 58.7% said no.
• 80.1% said yes.
• 19.9% said no.
• 44.3% said yes, it’s very important to them to know the folks who live around them.
• 31.3% said no, they usually don’t make an effort to meet my neighbors because they’re concerned about their safety knocking on stranger’s doors.
• 24.4% said no, they usually don’t make an effort to meet my neighbors because they don’t have time.
• 29.3% said yes, they see people socialized with their neighbors.
• 30.2% said no, people don’t have time to hang with neighbors, and it’s sad.
• 40.5% said no, social media has become the new “neighborhood.”
• 24.2% said 0.
• 16.9% said 1.
• 16.9% said 2.
• 15.8% said 3.
• 16.4% said 4-6.
• 5.4% said 7-10.
• 4.4% said more than 10.
• 36.2% said single, never married.
• 38.7% said married.
• 2.3% said divorced.
• 2.3% said separated.
• 0.5% said widowed.
• 19.5% said living with partner or significant other.
• 0.6% said they prefer not to answer.
• 48.8% said 0.
• 21.5% said 1.
• 18.3% said 2.
• 7.1% said 3.
• 2.0% said 4.
• 1.2% said 5.
• 1.2% said 6 or more.
• 14.9% said less than $20,000.
• 14.1% said $21,000-$30,000.
• 14.6% said $31,000-$40,000.
• 12.1% said $41,000-$50,000.
• 12.9% said $51,000-$60,000.
• 6.3% said $61,000-$70,000.
• 6.9% said $71,000-$80,000.
• 4.0% said $81,000-$90,000.
• 4.8% said $91,000-$100,000.
• 6.3% said $101,000-$150,000.
• 1.7% said $151,000-$200,000.
• 0.3% said $201,000-$250,000.
• 0.5% said $251,000-$300,000
• 0.8% said more than $300,000
The local survey found that Millennials movers care much more about their neighborhoods, careers, and local businesses that we might think. The new information shows that Millennials care about supporting local businesses and are always on the lookout for great opportunities in exciting new cities. Based on this mover data, it’s clear that Millennials are a valuable demographic in local business marketing looking to make an impact.
Brittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations.
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