Members of Gen Z — those born in the very late 1990s through about 2012 — are choosing to live in Alexandria, according to a analysis of rental applications by RentCafe.
The oldest Gen Z members are 25 years old now, many are out of college and living independently.
"Our findings show Alexandria and Arlington are two of the trendiest Zoomer hotspots of 2022," according to RentCafe. "Both cities are getting much of Gen Zs attention, recording significant spikes in apartment applications submitted by this young group of renters."
According to the analysis of more than 3.2 million apartment applications:
- Alexandria witnessed a 37% increase in the share of rental applications submitted by Zoomers, who moved into a new apartment in 2021, after spending a one-year hiatus back home or in their college towns. This impressive migration of young and tech-savvy apartment-dwellers is giving the city a much-needed glow-up, as it ranks 13th among the top 20 trendiest Gen Z hubs in the country.
- Arlington ranks as the 6th trending Gen Z city.
- At metro level, D.C. has seen a 31% increase in the share of Gen Z renters, year over year, which is less than either Alexandria or Arlington.
