Arlington, Alexandria lead nation for millennial migration

The cost of living in the Washington area is high, but you can make good money here, too, and for many young Americans entering the workforce the tradeoff is apparently worth it.

RealtyTrac studied millennial migration trends in 1,800 counties across the country, based on Census data, and says Arlington County and the city of Alexandria saw the biggest increases in their millennial populations between 2007 and 2013.

In Arlington, the adult population between 21 and 36 years of age grew by 82 percent in that six-year period. It grew by 81 percent in Alexandria. Both have unemployment rates well below the national average and household incomes well above it.

Orleans Parish in the New Orleans metro ranked third for millennial migration between 2007 and 2013, followed by San Francisco County, California, and Denver County, Colorado.

In Arlington County, millennials make up 39.5 percent of the population. It is 33.9 percent in Alexandria. Both jurisdictions had the highest percentage of millennials among the top 10 counties for millennial growth.

See RealtyTrac’s interactive heat map below to see where millennial migration is the highest. The map also includes a drop-down menu that shows baby boomer migration.

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