JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More young adults are flocking to bigger cities, as older generations appear to be leaving them, according to an analysis of census data by “Today’s Homeowner.”
Jacksonville is becoming a destination for two older groups — Generation X and the Silent Generation. Those are people born from 1965 to 1980 and those born in the late 20s to mid-40s.
The Bold City saw the 10th-highest net gain among Gen X-ers.
Jacksonville also saw the 4th highest net gain among the Silent Generation.
The Five largest cities in the U.S., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia, saw the largest gain among Gen Z, which is anyone born in the late 90s to early 2010s.
Baby boomers made up the largest group moving to Florida and Millennials and Gen-Xers follow them.
The pandemic motivated a lot of adults to move out of larger cities for lower housing costs and better climates.
As more and more people began working from home, there were many more options for people to abandon the higher-cost urban areas and find a more affordable situation.
The states with the highest population gain include Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, and South Carolina.
The states that saw the highest net losses include California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Minnesota.
However, these numbers are raw data and don’t consider the relative population.
It’s noteworthy to remember that California is the most populous state in the country, with almost twice the population of Florida, and has roughly 10,000,000 more residents than its runner-up, Texas.