Aug 12, 2022 - News

Where young Austinites go when they leave

Note: The analysis includes U.S. Social Security Number holders born 1984–1992 measuring their childhood locations at age 16 and young adult locations at age 26; Data: Center for Economic Studies, et al., 2022, "The Radius of Opportunity: Evidence from Migration and Local Labor Markets"; Chart: Skye Witley/Axios

The average young adult who grew up in Austin moved 173 miles away for their job, according to data by the U.S. Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies (CES).

  • That's about nine miles below the national average.

Why it matters: The migration patterns of young people can help us understand regional labor markets nationwide, with comings and goings reflecting where opportunity is, according to a July report by the bureau and Harvard University.

  • Migration distances are shorter for Black and Hispanic youth, as well as those from low-income families.

Zoom in: Nearly 70% of young people stayed in Austin, but 3.9% of those who left before the age of 26 headed to Houston. San Antonio and Dallas were the next two choices.

  • In fact, 18% of young adults leaving town stayed in Texas, while 13% headed out of state.
  • The lowest-income young adults stayed in Austin at a rate of 73%, versus 61% for those from higher-earning families.
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