Millennials, long associated with urban living, are increasingly turning to suburbs and the countryside for a quieter and more affordable lifestyle, according to a new analysis. The trend is reshaping housing markets in liberal-leaning cities across the United States, where exorbitant prices and the stresses of city life are driving young professionals to seek space and value further out.
Charla Freeland, 27, and Brian Freeland, 32, are among those who have made the move. The couple, both graduates of Howard University, left Washington DC last year to buy a three-storey townhouse in Bowie, Maryland, for $289,000 — roughly a quarter of the price of a comparable property in their former neighbourhood of Shaw, where median home prices have more than quintupled since 1995. “I like my space,” Brian said, citing the parking, deck and leafy park as key draws.
Demographic data supports the anecdotal evidence. William Frey of the Brookings Institution notes that smaller cities are growing while large cities are not expanding as fast, with millennials largely responsible for the suburban revival. “Population change gives you a crude sense of flow,” he said, pointing to a 2018 report showing the age distribution bulge that indicates millennials are driving the shift.
The move away from cities appears to be driven by economic factors rather than lifestyle preferences. Jeannette Chapman of the Stephen S Fuller Institute suggests that older millennials are “growing up” and making decisions similar to previous generations, while younger ones have more economic options. The 2008 housing crash and Great Recession also shaped their views on homeownership, making affordability a priority.
While the urban exodus may challenge the stereotype of millennials as city-dwellers, it is not without trade-offs. Charla Freeland misses her friends in the city, now a half-hour drive away, but expects they will follow suit when they settle down. “When they find someone, they’ll be out in the suburbs too,” she said.
