For most of the 2010s, Seattle was a millennial magnet. A booming tech job market, access to nature, progressive values, and an urban lifestyle made the city one of the fastest-growing in the country among young adults.
Between 2013 and 2019, the number of 25- to 34-year-olds living in Seattle surged by 35%, far outpacing the city’s overall growth. At its peak in 2019, this age group made up more than a quarter of the population.
But that momentum has stalled. New census data shows Seattle’s young adult population has declined since 2019 — a 5% drop that ends a decade-long run of dominance for the city’s most dynamic age group…