
More than two-thirds of young adults in the U.S. lived in the same area where they grew up by the age of 26, according to a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University. In fact, 80% had moved less than 100 miles away, and 90% lived less than 500 miles away. Although young adulthood is when most cross-country migration happens, there are obvious correlations with socioeconomic status. Children of higher-income parents traveled farther away from their hometowns than children of less wealthy parents.
The study also reported that migration distances were shorter for Black and Hispanic individuals compared to white and Asian individuals. When millennials do migrate, where they moved varied by race. White millennials most often migrated to New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Denver, while Black millennials most often moved to Atlanta, Houston and Washington. Los Angeles and New York were also the top two destinations for Hispanic and Asian millennials.
Overall, the pattern of millennials staying closer to home is consistent with recent studies showing a decline in mobility for the overall U.S. population.