Why people, including TikTok influencers, are moving to Richmond
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2024/05/13/202714-1715632034025.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The TikTok influencers are moving to Richmond.
Why it matters: We're a city that sees outsiders as a threat to housing prices and identity, but it's never been more in our face than now — and everyone has an opinion.
State of play: The Richmond region's rapid growth, spurred in the largest numbers by people from pricey California and NoVa, is all over our screens.
- People are documenting their move from trendy L.A. or NYC.
- Other newcomers are posting about curated neighborhood tours or organizing meetups.
Yes, but: If the comments are any indication, Richmonders are split.
- Many are welcoming and offering recommendations.
- Others have commented "Why are so many of y'all moving here..." One person called the trend a recession indicator.
The big picture: As Richmond grows, so do the stakes of who gets to thrive here.
- Housing prices are being pushed beyond what many locals can afford.
- More cookie-cutter apartments are cropping up like the ones in Charlotte and other fast-changing cities.
- Plus, the demographics of a once majority-Black city with prominent Black history shifting toward being significantly whiter has sparked fears of displacement.
The intrigue: When we asked readers why they moved here from bigger cities, the answers weren't as simple as seeking a cheaper cost of living.
- Of the dozens of readers who replied, nearly all noted some previous connection to Richmond or Virginia.
- Some are moving back. Others found a job here.
- And even a few of the many TikTok influencers say they wanted to be closer to family.
Zoom in: Sylvia Dominguez, for example, was born and raised in L.A. and recently moved to Henrico to be closer to her daughter, who moved here almost 20 years ago, got married and has stayed ever since.
- Larry Eason moved from L.A. nearly four years to be closer to his wife's family, instead of driving cross-country in a Prius multiple times a year, and now lives in Westover Hills.
Then there's Greg Jenkins, who moved to the Fan in March from the San Francisco Bay Area, and went to the University of Richmond and VCU in the 1980s.
- His first job was at the Virginia Press Association.
- "I just love Richmond and really wanted to get back," he told us.
What they're saying: Michael Ivey from the Greater Richmond Region Partnership, the metro's economic development agency, tells Axios that people are also wanting to "escape the rat race that you maybe started your career out in."
The bottom line: Richmonders often joke that everyone knows everyone by one degree of separation. Maybe it's time to close that one degree.
Go deeper: Richmond ranks 36th of cities Americans want to call home