US Cities Drawing the Most Millennials

Alexandria is getting younger, at least by one measure. The Virginia city ranks No. 1 in drawing new residents who happen to be millennials, according to SmartAsset. The top ranking is relative: It reflects the number of newcomers ages 25 to 44 as a percentage of the overall population. The top 10:

1. Alexandria, Virginia, 12.67%, reflecting 19,486 new millennials
2. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 12.15%, 14,197
3. Denver, Colorado, 11.78%, 83,447
4. Sandy Springs, Georgia, 11.63%, 12,189
5. Seattle, Washington, 11.51%, 86,049
6. Sunnyvale, California, 11.20% 16,754
7. Santa Clara, California, 10.88% 14,082
8. Arlington, Virginia, 10.78%, 24,982
9. Austin, Texas, 10.69% 103,738
10. Orlando, Florida, 10.49%, 33,226

• Raw numbers: New York City had by far the biggest number of newly arrived millennials at 362,000, though that accounts for only 4.4% of the population.
• Seattle tops, overall: The Washington state city has the largest percentage of millennials—42%—relative to its overall population. (This reflects millennials already living there, not just the newcomers.)

See the full rankings, which are based on 2023 data. (Or check out other lists.)