CT Millennial Migration: Here Are The Top Destinations For CT's Young Adults

CONNECTICUT — If you never moved far from your childhood home, you are far from alone. Nearly six out of 10 young adults live within 10 miles of where they grew up and eight in 10 live within 100 miles, according to a new study by the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University.

About seven out of 10 adults who grew up in Connecticut stayed here. Some of the most popular moving destinations for young adults include: New York City area (5 percent), Boston area (4 percent) and the Washington, D.C. area (1.3 percent).

About 82 percent of young adults living in Connecticut grew up in the state. Many transplants can comfortably root for their favorite childhood baseball teams; the top origin places of transplants include the New York City, Boston and the Newark areas.

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. Areas are based on commuting zones; Connecticut has a single commuting zone.

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. About six out of 10 young adults in this category stayed in Connecticut. The top destinations were the same, with nearly 9 percent of young adults in the category moving to the New York City area.

About eight out of 10 young adults whose parents were in the bottom 20 percent income level stayed in Connecticut.

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

The top 10 destinations for Connecticut young adults who moved are:

1. New York, NY: 5 percent
2. Boston, Mass.: 4 percent
3. Washington, D.C.: 1.3 percent
4. Los Angeles, CA: 1 percent
5. Providence, RI: 0.8 percent
6. Philadelphia, PA: 0.7 percent
7. San Francisco, CA: 0.6 percent
8. Newark, NJ: 0.6 percent
9. Denver, CO: 0.5 percent
10. Springfield, Mass: 0.5 percent

Black and Hispanic young adults more likely to stay in Connecticut than white or Asian young adults. About eight out of 10 Black and Hispanic young adults stayed in the Nutmeg State, while 67 percent of white young adults and 64 percent of Asians sought job opportunities elsewhere.

National trends follow a similar pattern. Black young adults moved an average of 60 fewer miles than white young adults. Young white adults were more likely to leave their home area, and when they did, they tended to travel farther.

Geographic data is organized by commuting zones; Connecticut has one for the entire state.

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