Economic anxiety is top of mind for young people today — so much so that it’s playing a major role in where they live. A recent LendingTree analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found that nearly a quarter of Gen Z adults (23.9%) moved to a different state in 2024, the highest share of any age cohort by a large margin.
Young adults are always the most transient. But the states Gen Z are leaving and entering tell us a lot about affordability in the country.
California and New Jersey lost the most Gen Zers, according to the data, while South Carolina saw the biggest gain.
Alongside South Carolina, Missouri, Washington D.C., Tennessee, Arizona and Washington saw jumps in its Gen Z adult population. And, interestingly enough, 19,287 Gen Zers moved from California into Texas (meanwhile, 13,362 moved from Texas to California).
A large part of Gen Z’s migration was thanks to higher education, according to the analysis, which found that 4 in 10 Gen Zers who moved state lines in 2024 were in college.
But that’s not the only factor. As the report’s author Matt Schulz put it:
“Affordability has a lot to do with this.”
“Where you live can absolutely have an impact and it can make a lot of sense for Gen Z to take advantage of some of the flexibility that they might have in pursuit of a cheaper place to live,” Schulz told Realtor.com.
So let’s be real. Amid today’s affordability crisis, money plays a huge role in where young people want to live.
On My Radar
We’re three weeks away from election day and it’s becoming more and more clear that these four stats show how Gen Z sees the midterms:
ECONOMIC ANXIETY: 50% of 18-29-year-olds are personally affected by inflation (Harvard IOP)
AI ANXIETY: 55% are “more concerned than excited about AI” (Pew)
DISTRUST: Trust in government “always” or ”most of the time” hasn’t topped 30% since 2007 (Pew)
BROKEN STATUS QUO: 53% support socialism, while just 45% support capitalism (Cato)
Calling all brides… 💍
As a 2026 bride, I’ve seen first hand just how all-consuming the wedding process can feel. I’m curious how others are feeling. If you’re a 2026/2027 bride please take our survey. And if you know someone who is, please send it their way.
Noteworthy Reads, Watches, and Finds
Reads: ‘We’re not asking for luxury’: School protestors in Paris suburb feel abandoned by French state, Angelique Chrisafis for The Guardian.The High Schooler Waiting on Ralph’s Call, Samuel Hine for The Cut. Teens Who Can’t Put Down TikTok and Instagram Are Losing Their Sense of Time, Julie Jargon for The Wall Street Journal.
Watches: The Ziwe Hasan Piker interview that seems like it could be satire, except that it’s not.
Listens: The Wall Street Journal’s ‘The New Youth Vote’ podcast (featuring a cameo from me).
Finds: These Kitsch mini ice facial rollers have been saving me, big time. They also just feel really good.