Texas, also known as the Lone Star State, is reeling in more Gen Z households than any other state in the country, according to a new report from housing platform Zillow.
A recent analysis conducted by Zillow using data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) found that Texas gained over 76,000 Gen Z movers. The Pew Research Center defines Gen Z individuals as those aged 12 to 27.
"Gen Z movers are likely drawn to the job opportunities in these states, despite the higher costs of housing. They may also be in a stage of life where they're willing and able to be flexible in their standards of living while starting their careers," Edward Berchick, Zillow principal population scientist, said in the report.
Why Is Texas an Attractive State for Gen Z Movers?
Texas's employment growth is expected to slow down to 2%. However, Texas had a 31-month streak of job growth, with plentiful employment opportunities still available state-wide, per Dallas News.
Texas is also bound to overtake California as the biggest retail market in the country after adding tens of thousands of jobs in the retail, health care, and service sectors, as noted in a study from Deputy, a global scheduling software platform.
The cost of living in Texas is also significantly lower than California, which came in second on Zillow's list. The cost of living in California is the third worst in the nation, while Texas placed 19th, per a study by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
"Texas has four of the 10 largest cities in the country in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, and it's generally more affordable. For young people, early in their careers, this is strong selling point," Mallory Vachon, senior economist at LaborIQ by ThinkWhy, told Dallas News. "In the long run, attracting younger workers is the better strategy for growth. Especially if those workers stay, start families, and continue contributing to local economies."
Which Other States Are Gen Zers Moving To?
Apart from Texas, Gen Zers are also flocking to California, which gained a net migration of 43,913; Florida, with 41,394; North Carolina, 33,690; Washington, 33,543; Colorado, 39,797; Virginia, 26,418; Illinois, 25,890; Georgia, 24,788; and Arizona, 21,418.
