Seattle’s young adult exodus: Millennials, Gen Z leaving the city in post-COVID trend

Census data revealed that Seattle’s young-adult population has declined since the start of the pandemic, bucking the trend that the Puget Sound is a thriving hub for Gen Z, latter millennials, and its hybrid in-between group, “zillennials.”

The population of young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 has decreased by approximately 5% between 2019 and 2023, according to The Seattle Times, a drastic difference compared to the 35% increase that occurred between 2013 and 2019.

Where are the young adults going?

“So the question is, where are those people going?” KIRO fill-in host Angela Poe Russell said. “I did a little digging, and I found there’s a lure to small rural towns right now. They want anything with nature, lots of amenities, and low cost of living. Florida and Texas are definitely a draw.”

Poe Russell cited a statistic from Realtor.com, revealing that IRS applications to launch new businesses have increased by 13% in the smallest metro areas of rural counties.

“These are my peeps. This is my generation, 25 to 34. I’m 29 now, and all of my friends, everyone that we ask, don’t want to live in the cities anymore,” David Burbank, the producer for “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio, said. “The nightlife holds no appeal anymore, and maybe part of that is crime. You don’t really feel safe being out in Capitol Hill much anymore.”

“If we look at Washington specifically, I’d love to know where people are going in Washington,” Poe Russell said. “I was recently visiting Leavenworth for whitewater rafting, and I saw all these apartments going up, and I was like, ‘Oh, what’s happening?’ Seeing a lot of growth there.”

Listen to the full conversation here.

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Charlie Harger and Manda Factor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio. Subscribe to the podcast here.