A shift to online work has sparked a great migration among the young and upwardly mobile. Which has many begging the question: 

Where are millennials moving?

Just a few short weeks ago, the answer to that question might have been San Francisco or New York. But today, New York isn’t even in the top twenty-five, according to a SmartAsset report published in 2020. So, who’s in?

Here are the top cities where millennials can land great jobs and grow their net worth:

Nashville, Tennessee

There’s a reason why 13,027 millennials headed to Nashville in 2018.

The city boasts more affordable housing than many other candidate cities around the country. 

The city’s arts and entertainment industry have global renown, from the Grand Ole Opry and other historic music venues to its unmistakable sonic culture. Nashville remains strong in healthcare, real estate, and tech. This explains why its top companies include names like AMSURG, Blevins, HCA Healthcare, HealthStream, Radian, and nationally-loved tech insurance company, Asurion.

Houston, Texas

Not a fan of Nashville and still need to know where are millennials moving? While Austin may be Texas’ city of fun and affordable housing, Houston appears to hold its own on several grounds.

Why else would 18,548 millennials choose to call the city their new home in 2018? That’s nearly three-and-a-half thousand more than Austin managed in the same period.

Houston provides a high quality of life, and the cost of living trades off well with the overall employment level especially in the energy industry.

Notable companies thriving in Houston include Aramco Services (a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco), ConocoPhillips, and Calpine. Other top firms include PROS Holdings Inc., Halliburton and Stewart Information Services.

Denver, Colorado

Bubbling and buzzing. That’s the perfect phrase to capture Denver’s artsy blend of nature-leaning activities and a verve-filled nightlife. Droves of millennials continue to stream into the Mile High City: 17,772, whereas 11,531 moved out in 2018 alone.

The fuel for the net positive migration to Denver is a thriving job market and a beautiful natural environment that make outdoor activities enjoyable.

Denver’s national reputation as a cultural and arts hub continues to grow as numerous popular art galleries and performing arts centers are alive and well in the city. The downtown Denver area has seen more art galleries open in the past few years. Young artists find the city lucrative and enabling as they practice and grow their craft.

Despite Denver’s enviable quality of life, it probably needs to become more affordable to pull in more millennials. Major companies that could use millennials’ skills include RE/MAX (franchise real estate), Digital First Media (newspaper publishing), Sage Hospitality, Hawkwood Energy, Frontier Airlines and Pepsi Center. 

Seattle, Washington

shunya-koide-seattle-washington-where are millennials moving

Seattle is one city that’s giving migration to San Francisco a run for its money. 26,967 millennials moved into Seattle in 2018. By contrast, 15,683 said goodbye. Millennials love Seattle, and with a job market that just won’t stop growing, there’s no end in sight for this. There’s also a plethora of activities that contribute to the city’s appeal for millennials.

Here’s the snag – Seattle is expensive. Even with the never-ending development, finding affordable housing can still be challenging. However, Seattle is an excellent option if you placing a premium on career growth and networking opportunities with those in your age band.

Since many popular workplaces are quite accessible, Seattle is ideal for millennials if they would prefer to cut down on their daily commute. Moving to Seattle would be a dream come true working in excellent companies such as Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, and Slalom.

Arlington, Virginia

Arlington isn’t the city you’d expect to show up when millennials speak of places to migrate to. Yet, the stats report differently. Proudly sitting on the cusp of Washington, DC, Arlington is home to George Mason University. It’s also fast becoming a top pick for private companies that need to be as close to the capital as possible.

Important companies in Arlington, VA include Better Business Bureau, Pacific Architects and Engineers (defense contractor), COLSA (technology services), STOUFFER’S, The AES (elerctrical energy), and CACI International.

As more companies use Arlington as their base, it creates more employment opportunities available to millennials. Rising business activity has also led to a more prominent nightlife, with numerous accompanying hotspots over the last few years.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco remains highly attractive to millennials because it offers plenty of employment opportunities in tech and a stream of young graduates. These qualities continue to attract millennials of all ages.

The one snag with San Francisco is the high cost of living, a significant challenge for newcomers despite the availability of high-paying jobs. Attractive companies in San Francisco include Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas, Gap, McKesson, and essentially every tech company in the United States.

The city’s hiking trails, parks, and walks are only a few of the daytime activities to indulge in when if you’re exploring the city. The nightlife isn’t just a bonus; it’s an excellent competitor to cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and so forth.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge presents a sky-high desirability index for millennials. The last few years have been a consistent reel of immense technological growth. Startups and corporations are on the hunt for unexplored talent hubs nationwide, and Cambridge is living up to its billing.

Cambridge hosts two of the country’s most regarded schools – MIT and Harvard. Therefore, it’s only natural that fresh graduates and those looking for work in exciting and emerging companies and industries will come here.

Cambridge is a city with a young demographic. One reason the youthful population is thriving is the city’s high walkability score. Millennials are always after networking opportunities in their industry and with folks around their age.

IBM, Forrester Research, Akamai Technologies, Cargurus Hubspot, Pegasystems and Google are a few of the technology-driven companies with an alive and well millennial culture. Bio firms such as Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Biogen, Novartis Institue for Biomedical Research, Cambridge Health Alliance, Sanofi, and Bluebird Bio also appeal to millennials.

Where are millennials moving? Here’s a chart to visually compare cities:

where are millennials moving chart 2020 remote jobs

There You Have It

If you wanted to know where millennials are moving because you’re looking to move yourself, consider one of these cities. They provide plenty of opportunities to thrive in your career, meet new people and build your financial future.