More than 9 million people aged 18-34 moved somewhere new in the U.S. in 2019, nearly 12% of the young adult population in the country. These people moved for many reasons — some got a new job, others headed off to college, and some relocated so they could have more room to start a family.
Whatever the reason, certain parts of the country seemed to be more appealing destinations. Dozens of counties across the country saw young adults move in by the thousands — and these new residents now make up a large share of the area’s population.
To determine the 40 places where young people are moving, 24/7 Wall St. used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. All U.S. counties, county equivalents, and independent cities were ranked based on the number of 18 to 34 year-olds who moved to the area — from a different county or country — in 2019 as a share of the total county’s total population.
More than half of the 40 places where young adults are moving to are located in the South — 23 in total. Virginia appears on this list seven times, by far the most of any state. Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina appear on the list three times each.
There are 10 Midwestern counties where more than 7% of the population is made up of 18-34-year-old adults who moved there in 2019. Only six Western counties and one Northeastern county made the list.
It is not just young adults who are moving to the South — many retirees are heading to Southern cities for their warm weather and relatively low costs of living. A number of these major Southern cities have seen their populations grow by 15% or more due to net migration over the past decade. These are the cities Americans are flocking to.
Click here to see 40 places where young people are moving.
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
40. Kleberg County, Texas
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 6.9% of population
> Median age: 28.3
> Median home value: $91,900
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 8.5%
> Largest place in the county: Kingsville
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Source: Jacob Boomsma / iStock via Getty Images
39. Walker County, Texas
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.0% of population
> Median age: 35.3
> Median home value: $152,300
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 7.7%
> Largest place in the county: Huntsville
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Source: Stephen Walker / Wikimedia Commons
38. Ellis County, Kansas
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.1% of population
> Median age: 32.5
> Median home value: $169,100
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 2.7%
> Largest place in the county: Hays
Source: BOB WESTON / iStock via Getty Images
37. Crawford County, Kansas
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.1% of population
> Median age: 32.5
> Median home value: $93,900
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.4%
> Largest place in the county: Pittsburg
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Source: By Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40922494 / Wikimedia Commons
36. Coles County, Illinois
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.1% of population
> Median age: 35.7
> Median home value: $100,500
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.2%
> Largest place in the county: Charleston
Source: LCBallard / iStock via Getty Images
35. Butts County, Georgia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.1% of population
> Median age: 38.6
> Median home value: $132,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.0%
> Largest place in the county: Jackson
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Source: robertthigpen / Flickr
34. Vernon Parish, Louisiana
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.2% of population
> Median age: 30.4
> Median home value: $119,300
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.4%
> Largest place in the county: Fort Polk South
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Source: nateostheimer / iStock via Getty Images
33. Albemarle County, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.2% of population
> Median age: 39.1
> Median home value: $356,100
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.0%
> Largest place in the county: Crozet
Source: benedek / iStock via Getty Images
32. Teton County, Wyoming
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.2% of population
> Median age: 39.3
> Median home value: $866,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.9%
> Largest place in the county: Jackson
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
31. Alexandria city, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.3% of population
> Median age: 36.8
> Median home value: $572,900
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.3%
> Largest place in the county: Alexandria
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
30. Richmond city, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.3% of population
> Median age: 34.0
> Median home value: $230,500
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.2%
> Largest place in the county: Richmond
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Source: DianeBentleyRaymond / Getty Images
29. Gallatin County, Montana
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.3% of population
> Median age: 33.4
> Median home value: $357,100
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.0%
> Largest place in the county: Bozeman
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
28. Pickens County, South Carolina
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.5% of population
> Median age: 36.2
> Median home value: $147,700
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.1%
> Largest place in the county: Easley
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
27. Ingham County, Michigan
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.6% of population
> Median age: 32.0
> Median home value: $135,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.9%
> Largest place in the county: Lansing
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Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images
26. Washtenaw County, Michigan
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.6% of population
> Median age: 33.6
> Median home value: $263,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.7%
> Largest place in the county: Ann Arbor
Source: Cypress Landing / Wikimedia Commons
25. Pitt County, North Carolina
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.6% of population
> Median age: 32.5
> Median home value: $148,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.1%
> Largest place in the county: Greenville
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Source: By W.marsh - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2557733 / Wikimedia Commons
24. Rowan County, Kentucky
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.8% of population
> Median age: 30.6
> Median home value: $124,200
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.5%
> Largest place in the county: Morehead
Source: Warren LeMay from Cincinnati, OH, United States / Wikimedia Commons
23. Jackson County, North Carolina
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.8% of population
> Median age: 37.7
> Median home value: $196,100
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.8%
> Largest place in the county: Cullowhee
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
22. Blue Earth County, Minnesota
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.9% of population
> Median age: 31.0
> Median home value: $184,800
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.1%
> Largest place in the county: Mankato
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
21. Richland County, South Carolina
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.9% of population
> Median age: 33.4
> Median home value: $163,100
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.6%
> Largest place in the county: Columbia
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
20. Comanche County, Oklahoma
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 7.9% of population
> Median age: 33.0
> Median home value: $124,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.0%
> Largest place in the county: Lawton
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images
19. Arlington County, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.0% of population
> Median age: 34.7
> Median home value: $705,400
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.6%
> Largest place in the county: Arlington
18. Indiana County, Pennsylvania
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.0% of population
> Median age: 40.2
> Median home value: $121,100
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 7.4%
> Largest place in the county: Indiana
Source: traveler1116 / iStock via Getty Images
17. Fairfax city, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.0% of population
> Median age: 38.2
> Median home value: $560,400
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.9%
> Largest place in the county: Fairfax
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Source: bauhaus1000 / iStock via Getty Images
16. Broomfield County, Colorado
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.1% of population
> Median age: 37.8
> Median home value: $413,500
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.6%
> Largest place in the county: N/A
Source: Jud McCranie / Wikimedia Commons
15. Tattnall County, Georgia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.2% of population
> Median age: 37.3
> Median home value: $89,200
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.5%
> Largest place in the county: Glennville
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
14. Grand Forks County, North Dakota
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.2% of population
> Median age: 29.7
> Median home value: $206,500
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.3%
> Largest place in the county: Grand Forks
13. Coryell County, Texas
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.4% of population
> Median age: 31.8
> Median home value: $114,300
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.7%
> Largest place in the county: Copperas Cove
Source: Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons
12. Liberty County, Georgia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.5% of population
> Median age: 28.4
> Median home value: $124,500
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.4%
> Largest place in the county: Hinesville
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11. Clark County, Arkansas
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.6% of population
> Median age: 33.7
> Median home value: $111,600
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.7%
> Largest place in the county: Arkadelphia
Source: BOB WESTON / Getty Images
10. Christian County, Kentucky
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.7% of population
> Median age: 28.3
> Median home value: $117,400
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.6%
> Largest place in the county: Hopkinsville
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Source: wackybadger / Flickr
9. Pierce County, Wisconsin
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.7% of population
> Median age: 36.8
> Median home value: $208,700
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.9%
> Largest place in the county: River Falls
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8. Dunn County, Wisconsin
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 8.8% of population
> Median age: 34.7
> Median home value: $165,200
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 4.1%
> Largest place in the county: Menomonie
Source: Ryan Herron / E+ via Getty Images
7. Orange County, North Carolina
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 9.0% of population
> Median age: 34.8
> Median home value: $308,800
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 3.7%
> Largest place in the county: Chapel Hill
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Source: miroslav_1 / Getty Images
6. Coconino County, Arizona
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 9.6% of population
> Median age: 30.7
> Median home value: $280,900
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 8.7%
> Largest place in the county: Flagstaff
5. Johnson County, Missouri
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 9.8% of population
> Median age: 30.5
> Median home value: $156,500
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.2%
> Largest place in the county: Warrensburg
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Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images
4. Norfolk city, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 10.6% of population
> Median age: 30.7
> Median home value: $206,700
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 6.3%
> Largest place in the county: Norfolk
Source: Harlow Chandler / Getty Images
3. Fredericksburg city, Virginia
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 10.6% of population
> Median age: 30.4
> Median home value: $367,200
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.4%
> Largest place in the county: Fredericksburg
Source: carterdayne / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
2. Kittitas County, Washington
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 11.0% of population
> Median age: 33.8
> Median home value: $286,900
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.6%
> Largest place in the county: Ellensburg
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1. Lassen County, California
> Young adults who arrived in the last year: 12.1% of population
> Median age: 36.6
> Median home value: $203,000
> Unemployment rate, June 2021: 5.7%
> Largest place in the county: Susanville
Methodology
To determine the 40 places where young people are moving, 24/7 Wall St. ranked all U.S. counties, county equivalents, and independent cities based on the number of 18 to 34-year-olds who moved to the area from a different county or country in 2019 as a share of the total county population using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Only counties with populations of at least 20,000 were considered.
To create a more diverse list of counties, we also excluded areas where either more than 20% of the population are is enrolled in college or graduate school or more than 15% of the population are is in the armed forces. Data on median age and home value also came from the ACS. All ACS data are five-year estimates. June 2021 unemployment rates are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are not seasonally adjusted.
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