New York may still be the city where young people come to make it \u2014 but a growing number of Gen Zers are making their exit.<\/p>\n
The Big Apple lost more members of Gen Z than any other US metro in 2024, posting a net outflow of 29,554 young adults, according to a new Redfin analysis<\/a> of Census Bureau data.<\/p>\n And many aren\u2019t venturing far.<\/p>\n Philadelphia has become a popular landing pad. Thu \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n A whopping 9,284 Gen Zers traded the New York metropolitan area for Philadelphia<\/a> just 90 miles south, making it the country\u2019s second-most-popular migration route for the generation, behind only trading Los Angeles for nearby Riverside, California.<\/p>\n The move comes with a considerable housing discount. The typical home in the New York metro sells for about $832,000, compared with just $309,000 in Philadelphia, according to Redfin.<\/p>\n That means buyers heading to Philly could theoretically purchase nearly three homes for the price of one in New York.<\/p>\n The migration pattern suggests young Americans aren\u2019t necessarily cutting ties with their existing regions as they hunt for less expensive housing and better job prospects. <\/p>\n Instead, many are making relatively short moves that allow them to remain within reach of family, friends and professional networks.<\/p>\n Thousands of young New Yorkers are trading the Big Apple for more affordable cities. Gianandrea Villa \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cYounger adults are gravitating toward cities where they can launch careers and their social lives, while millennials are more focused on places where a paycheck stretches further and buying a home is attainable,\u201d Redfin principal economist Sheharyar Bokhari said in the report.<\/p>\n \u201cBut young Americans aren\u2019t fleeing expensive cities for the cheapest place they can find: Most are making relatively short moves, suggesting they want a better job or lower cost of living without giving up their existing networks.\u201d<\/p>\n Philadelphia is a popular spot for its short distance to New York. oneinchpunch \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The most common Gen Z move was from Los Angeles to Riverside<\/a>, with 10,261 people making the roughly 60-mile shift. The New York-to-Philadelphia route came next, followed by Los Angeles to San Diego, which attracted 9,237 movers.<\/p>\n