South Carolina recorded the largest net gain of young adults through interstate migration in 2024, while California experienced the biggest net loss, according to an analysis of US Census Bureau data by LendingTree.
South Carolina gained a net 22,843 adults aged 18 to 27, attracting an estimated 60,223 from other states while 37,380 moved out. California recorded a net loss of 58,109 young adults, with 186,827 leaving and 128,718 arriving.
The findings offer a snapshot of changing geographic patterns among younger adults that could be relevant to employers assessing where early-career talent is available.
According to LendingTree, an estimated 10.7 million Gen Z adults moved to another state or Washington, DC, in 2024. The analysis put the share of Gen Z adults who moved across state lines at 23.9%, compared with 14% of millennials, 7.2% of Generation X and 5.2% of baby boomers.
Which states gained and lost young adults?
Missouri recorded a net gain of 14,063 Gen Z adults, followed by Washington, DC, at 13,905, Tennessee at 13,537, Arizona at 12,593, Washington state at 11,781 and Texas at 10,720.
New Jersey recorded the second-largest net loss, at 37,556, followed by Illinois, which lost 20,031 young adults on a net basis.
The figures reflect the difference between people moving into and out of each location, rather than the total number of arrivals or departures. California, for example, continued to attract more than 128,000 Gen Z adults even as its outflow was substantially larger.
The analysis also found that Washington, DC, had the largest net gain relative to its existing Gen Z adult population, equivalent to 12.3%.
What is driving the movement?
Affordability may be one factor behind some relocation decisions. Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst, told Fox Business that living costs could be contributing to the patterns.
However, migration is not necessarily driven by employment. LendingTree’s analysis found that 38.1% of Gen Z adults who crossed state lines were enrolled in college at the time of the survey. Education and other personal circumstances may therefore account for some moves.
The findings should also be viewed in context: the analysis covers migration during 2024 and does not establish why every individual moved.
Why the figures matter to HR
For employers, changing migration patterns may offer useful context when evaluating regional talent availability, graduate recruitment and workforce location strategies. However, a state’s net gain in young adults does not automatically mean a larger pool of qualified job applicants.
Employers may need to consider local industry demand, skills availability, compensation and the types of entry-level roles on offer. Organisations with employees working across state lines should also assess whether relocations affect payroll, tax withholding, benefits or employment-law obligations.
The data provides a geographic snapshot rather than a direct measure of hiring or turnover. HR teams can use it alongside local labour-market information and their own recruitment data to understand how talent availability may be changing.
The analysis covers interstate migration among US adults aged 18 to 27 in 2024, based on LendingTree’s analysis of Census Bureau microdata.
