蜜柚直播

Below average wages for young adults is probably why the city lost more than 13% of its millennial population between 2012 and 2017, according to the survey released last week by insurance company Haven Life.

That was the biggest decline by far among 54 metropolitan areas with at least 1 million residents. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport 蜜柚直播 metro area came in 53rd with a 6.6% drop.

Local business booster and millennial Zach Yentzer said the results reflect a 鈥渂rain drain鈥� in the community that began a decade ago during the Great Recession and is only now beginning to ebb.

鈥溍坭种辈� is a city that鈥檚 still trying to gain its footing in attracting and keeping young professionals,鈥� said Yentzer, who grew up here, moved back to town after college and now at 28 serves as executive director of 蜜柚直播 Young Professionals, a networking and advocacy group.

Portland, Oregon, topped the rankings with a 22.8% increase in young residents.

Phoenix saw a 10.1% jump, good enough for 18th on the list.

Haven Life used data from the Census Bureau鈥檚 American Community Survey for people born between 1981 and 1992. Millennials in that group make up about 15% of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 population.

鈥淗ome to the University of 蜜柚直播, the area has a large student population and boasts warm weather, nearby mountains, and plenty of hiking trails,鈥� the survey says. 鈥淗owever, the relatively low median wage for millennials in 蜜柚直播 is likely a turnoff.鈥�

The survey pegged the median earnings for local millennials at $35,392.

Liz Pocock is a millennial herself and the CEO of Startup 蜜柚直播, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs young and old. She said Haven Life鈥檚 findings might have been true at one time, but they feel outdated to her now.

鈥淚 think in the last few years that鈥檚 not the sentiment, that everybody is leaving. I think we鈥檙e seeing just the opposite,鈥� the 32-year-old said. 鈥淚 kind of feel like we鈥檙e on the up-cycle.鈥�

Pocock was also a little mystified by the top of Haven Life鈥檚 rankings, which include such trendy but expensive cities as Portland, Seattle, Denver, San Francisco and Austin.

She said she wonders how young adults afford to live in places like that, even with the higher median wages they earn.

The cost of living in 蜜柚直播 is far lower by comparison, she said.

Pocock also said she has met several people recently who moved here from the Pacific Northwest or the Bay Area for just that reason.

Pocock said she is also seeing more of what she called 鈥渂oomeranging鈥� from young people who moved away after growing up or going to college here, only to be drawn back by 蜜柚直播鈥檚 quality of life and improving job prospects.

But more job growth is needed, especially in the middle of the salary range, she said. 鈥淲e have OK entry-level jobs and great leadership jobs, but we鈥檙e kind of missing that middle management level. I鈥檓 not sure we鈥檝e fixed that yet.鈥�

Yentzer warned that rising housing costs and a lack of 鈥渋ncome competitiveness鈥� also could drive away young people.

鈥溍坭种辈� has the quality of life and community life that millennials want,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e just need those other areas to catch up at varying levels to be a thriving community.鈥�

If such improvements are made, Pocock said, she expects more millennials to put down roots here, despite broad stereotypes about the generation鈥檚 reluctance to stay put.

At least that鈥檚 how it happened for her and her husband, who moved here in 2009.

鈥淲e both thought 蜜柚直播 might be a stopover point,鈥� Pocock said. 鈥淭hen we fell in love with the city.鈥�