Phoenix: 3rd most popular city for relocating millennials

Millennials are moving west and south, and Phoenix is one of their favorite destinations.

According to an annual study by SmartAsset.com, net migration to Arizona’s biggest metro area by millennials was nearly 6,000 in 2019. Moving here were 17,256 while 11,298 moved away.

Phoenix was the third most popular destination for millennials after Denver (net migration: 10,974) and Seattle (6,164).

Millennials make up about 23% of the population of Phoenix, or about 390,570 of more than 1.68 million residents, according to SmartAsset. The generational group, people between the ages of 25 and 39, increased by 1.53% in 2019.

According to SmartAsset, young professionals have long sought opportunity in cities like New York, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles. In recent years, fewer Americans are moving to these cities, migration patterns show. Many are moving to warmer weather climes in the South and West.

Arizona is the fourth most popular state for millennials moving to other states, with a net migration of 20,887. Texas led the list for the second consecutive year with 33,277, followed by Colorado (29,546) and Washington state (25,700). Florida (14,328) rounded out the top five states.

To find both the states and cities where millennials are moving, SmartAsset analyzed data from the Census Bureau’s 2019 1-year American Community Survey.