These IL cities are millennials’ least favorite, report says. Where are they moving?
Four Illinois cities are among the least popular in the U.S. for millennials to move to, according to a recent analysis from financial company SmartAsset.
The Feb. 13 report “Where Millennials Are Moving – 2026 Study” evaluated 254 U.S. cities on the rate people ages 25 to 44 moved there in 2024 as a percentage of total population. The report found Chicago performed relatively well for millennials, with an 81st place ranking. But four other Illinois cities struggled more in attracting new residents of that generation.
In 2024, millennials represented 6.76% of new Chicago residents, according to SmartAsset, making up 35.4% of the city’s total population. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Chicago had more than 2.7 million residents that year.
Millennials surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living adult generation in 2019, according to Pew Research Center. And as of 2024, 36% of the labor force consisted of millennials.
“Locations that can attract Millennials may benefit from stronger and more diverse workforces, disposable income flowing to local businesses, and additional tax revenue,” SmartAsset’s report reads. “On the other hand, it can also lead to more competitive housing markets and a change in the business mix for preexisting locals.”
Here’s how the other Illinois cities performed for attracting new millennial residents.
Which Illinois cities are millennials avoiding?
Naperville, Rockford, Aurora and Springfield all landed in the bottom 20% of U.S. cities analyzed for gaining millennial residents, according to SmartAsset.
Naperville was in 207th place, with millennials representing 4.51% of new residents. The popular Chicagoland suburb has the greatest percentage of remote workers in the state and the 12th most in the nation, according to a SmartAsset report from Jan. 23.
Millennials make up just 23.9% of Naperville’s overall population.
Rockford was named the 228th city for new millennial residents, with a moving rate of 3.91%. Aurora was closely behind, in 229th place with 3.83%, and Springfield landed among the bottom 11 cities in the nation, at 3.4% of millennials moving there relative to the total population.
The state’s capital city isn’t just struggling with millennial populations, however. Springfield saw a slight decline of 1.4% in overall population from 2020 to 2024, according to the Census Bureau.
Where are millennials moving to?
California and Washington cities were particularly popular with millennials, according to SmartAsset’s analysis. Here’s how the top 10 cities stacked up:
1. Cambridge, Mass.: 11.86% millennials moved in relative to total population
2. Seattle: 11.49%
3. Sunnyvale, Calif.: 11.3%
4. Orlando: 11.1%
5. Arlington, Va.: 10.72%
6. Austin, Texas: 10.57%
7. Washington: 10.56%
8. Sandy Springs, Ga.: 10.17%
9. Denver: 10.02%
10. Santa Clara, Calif.: 9.97%
Some of the most common draws to cities where millennials are moving may include job opportunities, higher pay, preferable lifestyles and family considerations, according to the report.
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This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 8:31 AM.
