Generation Z may be on the younger side (the oldest of them are about 27) but they are already making big life changes in larger numbers than their older peers. According to HireAHelper’s 2023 migration study , Gen Z adults (in the 18- to 26-year-old range at the time), comprised more than one-quarter (26%) of all the moves in this country in 2023, despite being only about 12% of the total U.S. population. While the majority of Gen Zers were moving to “establish their own households” (i.e. moving out of their family homes), about 9.2% said they were moving somewhere cheaper .
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Gen Zers have already found the state of West Virginia a good place to move — the state saw a 138% increase in Gen Z residents in 2023 — but now they might also want to look to neighboring Virginia, where rents are affordable and the economy is strong. In Virginia, the annual mean wage is a reasonable $70,050, with a 66% employment rate, suggesting a robust economy for Gen Zers launching into their careers.