Many Millennials Moving To 2 CA Metro Areas: Study

CALIFORNIA — Who says you can't stay home? Most millennials live and work near their childhood homes, according to a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University.

Nearly six in 10 young adults live within 10 miles of where they grew up, and eight in 10 live within 100 miles, the study found.

The study analyzed where individuals moved between childhood (their location at 16 years old) and young adulthood (where they lived at 26). It was based on data from the decennial census, survey and tax data for people born between 1984 and 1992. The geographic areas in the study are based on commuting zones.

For millennials who choose to relocate, two California metro areas rank among the top 10 destinations nationally for adults who leave their childhood commuting zones, according to the study. Los Angeles ranked second, while San Francisco ranked eighth. New York City topped the list.

About 72 percent of adults who grew up in San Francisco stayed there, according to the study. About 80 percent of adults who grew up in the Los Angeles metro area stayed there.

Nationally, young adults whose parents were in the top 20 percent income level were more likely to move out of state compared with the rest of the population.

In the Los Angeles metro area, around 75 percent of young adults who meet that criteria stayed home, while 9.9 percent moved within California and nearby Arizona and 15 percent moved to areas in other states. In San Francisco, around 68 percent of young adults who meet that criteria stayed home, while 15 percent moved within California and 17 percent moved out of state.

About 81 percent of young adults whose parents were in the bottom 20 percent income level stayed in the Los Angeles metro area, while about 73 percent of young adults whose parents were in the bottom 20 percent income level stayed in San Francisco.

The top destinations nationally for adults who leave their childhood commuting zones are:

1. New York, NY: 3.2 percent
2. Los Angeles, CA: 3.1 percent
3. Washington, D.C.: 2.2 percent
4. Atlanta, GA: 1.9 percent
5. Seattle, WA: 1.8 percent
6. Chicago, IL: 1.8 percent
7. Denver, CO: 1.7 percent
8. San Francisco, CA: 1.7 percent
9. Dallas, TX : 1.7 percent
10. Houston, TX: 1.6 percent

Explore all the migration data here, including an interactive map.