Millennial high earners are hightailing it out of California and New York

Millennial high earners are hightailing it out of California and New York
An analysis of tax return data shows which states are the top destinations for high-income Gen Y households.
AUG 28, 2024

As high-earning millennials use their economic heft to explore job opportunities, make lifestyle changes, and build families out of state, a new analysis of tax returns reveals which jurisdictions are winning – and losing – in the ongoing evolution of the US wealth landscape.

The analysis published by SmartAsset, which examined the latest available tax data, focuses on Gen Y households earning more than $200,000 annually. That puts them well above the median household income of $75,000 across all US households and squarely within the IRS definition of “high earners.”

Based on the analysis, California and New York were the biggest losers in terms of high-income millennial migrations. The Golden State saw the largest exodus, with a net loss of 9,181 high-earning millennial households while New York, which is home to the world’s wealthiest city, lost 4,251.

Other states, including Illinois and Massachusetts, also reported significant losses, with a net total of 3,163 and 1,927 households leaving respectively.

On the flip side, Florida emerged as top destination for money-making millennials, posting a net gain of 6,188 households. Texas ranked second, welcoming 5,151 households, while North Carolina came in third with a net increase of 1,970 households.

The analysis also showed a pronounced impact in states like Colorado and Georgia, where millennials represented a definitive majority of the net gain in high-earning households. In Colorado, 87 percent of the net 1,403 households earning over $200,000 per year were millennials. Similarly, in Georgia, millennials accounted for 895 of the 1,024 high-earning households that moved into the state.

And while Utah didn’t make it to the top 10 in terms of high-earning millennial immigration, it still stands out for having the highest proportion of wealthy households that are millennials. Of the 94,488 households in the state earning over $200,000 annually, 25 percent are from Generation Y.

The analysis offers an exhaustive new take on next-gen wealth, but it remains unclear just how many millennials are still HENRYs – high earners, not rich yet – and how many have officially achieved high-net-worth status.

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