New migration data showed where Gen Z clustered – and what it meant for future housing demand

Gen Z are only just beginning to show up in national migration statistics, but a new dataset suggests their choices are already reshaping pockets of the United States housing market.

Using a proprietary database of almost 15 million adult moves in 2025, including 335,678 Gen Z relocations, MovingPlace mapped where the youngest movers went.

Its 2026 Gen Z Migration Report highlighted early hotspots from downtown Minneapolis to Midtown Manhattan and hinted at how Gen Z are starting to reshape rental and entry‑level housing demand.

Members of Gen Z moved the shortest distances, most often just 1–10 miles, while Gen X and baby boomers logged far more long-haul moves over 1,000 miles. Those constrained patterns, MovingPlace argued, made each Gen Z move more revealing.

While Gen Z accounted for just 2.2% of total US moves in the MovingPlace sample, their net migration patterns clustered around large job hubs, walkable urban neighborhoods and fast‑growing Sun Belt metros.

Texas, Tennessee and Wisconsin posted the largest net gains in Gen Z movers, while California, New Jersey and Minnesota saw net outflows.

At the metro level, Dallas–Fort Worth, Nashville, Phoenix, Washington DC and Madison ranked among the biggest winners.

“The top ZIP code Gen Z is moving to in 2025 is 55401, a central area of Minneapolis on the banks of the Mississippi River,” the report said.

Homes there carried a median price of $372,500, below the US average, while the average income of $115,651 ran well above surrounding neighborhoods. The study said that mix of relative affordability, high earnings, walkability and job access made 55401 an early hub for young renters and future buyers.