An estimated 10.7 million of the nation’s 44.6 million Gen Z adults moved to another state or the District of Columbia in 2024, according to Census Bureau data analyzed by LendingTree. That amounts to 23.9% of Gen Z adults, the highest share among the generations examined.
The comparable share was 14% for Millennials, 7.2% for Gen X and 5.2% for Baby Boomers. The figures describe interstate moves during 2024, not all residential moves.
California had the largest net loss of Gen Z residents, with an estimated 58,109 more leaving than arriving. Of those, 19,287 moved from California to Texas, according to the report. New Jersey had the next-largest net loss, at 37,556, followed by Illinois at 20,031.
South Carolina recorded the largest net gain, adding 22,843 Gen Z adults. Missouri gained 14,063. The report also identified Texas, Washington, New York and other states among those with sizable net gains, though the supplied data does not provide their totals.
Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst, told Fox Business that moves for college, new jobs and greater mobility may help explain why a larger share of young adults relocate. He also said affordability may factor into decisions, while noting that state-level patterns did not point to a single explanation. The report’s figures show migration patterns but do not establish why individuals moved.
Schulz advised people considering relocation to weigh costs alongside employment prospects, taxes, family support and other personal considerations. The data cited in the report covers 2024 and should not be read as a measure of migration in 2026.
