Survey: 50% of young adults in Atlanta are thinking of leaving the city
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Nov 19, 2025, 20:46 IST
The results of a survey conducted across the United States among young adults without children reveal that Atlanta is the city that ranks fifth out of the top 10 cities with the highest rate of 18-34 residents who are willing to leave the city. This fact puts in question the cost of living, the availability of jobs, and the feeling of connection to the community in the local area.
TL;DR
Gensler’s survey of over 2000 young adults indicates that half of Atlanta’s child-free residents aged 18 to 34 are thinking of moving out of the city. The causes they mentioned were the cost of living, housing access, and lack of emotional connection to the community.
A new national survey indicates that half of Atlanta’s young adults without children are thinking about leaving the city. Atlanta ranks number five among big metropolitan areas concerning the highest percentage of young residents aged 18 to 34, who stated that they were likely or very likely to move. Such results help to understand better the problems of affordability, career mobility, and community engagement, which are the main factors influencing the choices of a demographic group that is usually considered the primary local workforce source of vitality.
The research by the global design and architecture firm Gensler involved 2,224 young adults survey in 27 large US cities from July to November 2024. Participants, not given a specific time frame, were asked how probable it was that they would leave their current city. The results are presented in Gensler's City Pulse 2025 report, which studies urban migration trends and the factors that make cities attractive or difficult for young residents.
Baltimore was the city people wanted to move out from the most. Almost 62 percent of the local people stated that they were very likely to quit their place of residence. Next, Charlotte was with a percentage of almost 59. Miami and Detroit also had more than 51 percent each. Atlanta's share was half of the total. Meanwhile, the cities of San Diego, Boston, and Chicago were at the other end of the spectrum, having the lowest percentages, with numbers going from approximately 27 to 36 percent.
Gensler investigators claim that the elements that decide whether young adults keep living in a place or leave are increasingly complex. Sofia Song, global leader of cities research at Gensler’s Research Institute, said that the team initially thought that the factors that attract young adults to cities, such as good job markets and amenities, would be the factors that keep them there. However, the data shows a different pattern.
“What keeps people there is not so concrete,” Song explained in an interview that is part of the report. “It really comes down to emotional connection, feeling that you are an active part of your city, and that you are getting more and more of a sense of belonging.” Song also said that although economic factors still have their importance, long-term attachment cannot be achieved without deeper community ties.
The lack of affordable housing is still a major problem that Atlanta has been grappling with for quite some time. The Atlanta Regional Commission published a report of its own last month, revealing that 62% of the residents surveyed stated that they could not afford to move to another house in their existing neighborhood. Besides that, the commission has also reported in the past that between 2018 and 2023 the area lost roughly 230,000 housing units that were priced low to moderately, thereby signaling a reduced number of available housing units for rent or sale at a cost that is accessible to those households concerned with living budgets.
The survey findings are a reflection of the ongoing conversations that are going on among the young adults of Atlanta, a large number of whom publicly express their dissatisfaction with the city via social media. Some of them mention rising rents while others talk about their careers being at a standstill or that there is a mismatch between what they expected and what is happening in their daily lives. According to experts, although such online sentiment is merely anecdotal, it corresponds with the larger issues of affordability and retention.
FAQs
Gensler’s survey of over 2000 young adults indicates that half of Atlanta’s child-free residents aged 18 to 34 are thinking of moving out of the city. The causes they mentioned were the cost of living, housing access, and lack of emotional connection to the community.
A new national survey indicates that half of Atlanta’s young adults without children are thinking about leaving the city. Atlanta ranks number five among big metropolitan areas concerning the highest percentage of young residents aged 18 to 34, who stated that they were likely or very likely to move. Such results help to understand better the problems of affordability, career mobility, and community engagement, which are the main factors influencing the choices of a demographic group that is usually considered the primary local workforce source of vitality.
The research by the global design and architecture firm Gensler involved 2,224 young adults survey in 27 large US cities from July to November 2024. Participants, not given a specific time frame, were asked how probable it was that they would leave their current city. The results are presented in Gensler's City Pulse 2025 report, which studies urban migration trends and the factors that make cities attractive or difficult for young residents.
Baltimore was the city people wanted to move out from the most. Almost 62 percent of the local people stated that they were very likely to quit their place of residence. Next, Charlotte was with a percentage of almost 59. Miami and Detroit also had more than 51 percent each. Atlanta's share was half of the total. Meanwhile, the cities of San Diego, Boston, and Chicago were at the other end of the spectrum, having the lowest percentages, with numbers going from approximately 27 to 36 percent.
Gensler investigators claim that the elements that decide whether young adults keep living in a place or leave are increasingly complex. Sofia Song, global leader of cities research at Gensler’s Research Institute, said that the team initially thought that the factors that attract young adults to cities, such as good job markets and amenities, would be the factors that keep them there. However, the data shows a different pattern.
“What keeps people there is not so concrete,” Song explained in an interview that is part of the report. “It really comes down to emotional connection, feeling that you are an active part of your city, and that you are getting more and more of a sense of belonging.” Song also said that although economic factors still have their importance, long-term attachment cannot be achieved without deeper community ties.
The lack of affordable housing is still a major problem that Atlanta has been grappling with for quite some time. The Atlanta Regional Commission published a report of its own last month, revealing that 62% of the residents surveyed stated that they could not afford to move to another house in their existing neighborhood. Besides that, the commission has also reported in the past that between 2018 and 2023 the area lost roughly 230,000 housing units that were priced low to moderately, thereby signaling a reduced number of available housing units for rent or sale at a cost that is accessible to those households concerned with living budgets.
The survey findings are a reflection of the ongoing conversations that are going on among the young adults of Atlanta, a large number of whom publicly express their dissatisfaction with the city via social media. Some of them mention rising rents while others talk about their careers being at a standstill or that there is a mismatch between what they expected and what is happening in their daily lives. According to experts, although such online sentiment is merely anecdotal, it corresponds with the larger issues of affordability and retention.
FAQs
- What was the main goal of the survey?
The main goal of the questionnaire was to identify the livelihood of young adults without children aged 18-34 to move their current city. - Which cities had the lowest percentages?
The smallest percentages of young adults considering moving to another place were recorded in San Diego, Boston, and Chicago.