Millennials Flock to San Angelo

Is San Angelo becoming a haven for the Millennials to flock towards? Studies have shown that San Angelo has had a growth in population for ages 20 to 34 years old.

According to consumeraffairs.com, at a local angle, the number of Millennials has increased by 4.2 percent of the total population, from 21.3 percent to 25.5 percent. Millennials tend to settle in smaller cities.

Ryan Daly, the content manager for consumeraffairs.com said, “Millennials are choosing to live in a smaller city because people have more of a voice in local government; you have more control of what is going on; [it's] cheaper to live; and you don’t have to work long, hard hours if you don’t want to.”

Daly added this is the biggest population of a specific generation we have ever seen. The baby boomers have had their babies and the world is growing.

“Young people are moving into small towns and bringing a bigger boom in culture," stated Daly. "If these young people are demanding good bars, night life, and art, those things are moving into small town because they are being demanded more. The idea that bigger cities are the cultural hubs of our nation are starting to be debunked because Millennials are bringing and demanding more culture in these smaller towns.”

A Millennial is a person reaching young adulthood around the year 2000. William Strauss first used the word “Millennials” in the mid-90s. It was in a book called “Generations,” and it was among the first to explore the idea that groups share the same qualities such as beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors because of the time period they grew up in.

Other names Millennials are characterized by are Generation Y, Echo boomers, and Digital Natives. A Digital Native is an appropriate name because they are the first generation that does not know life without the Internet and personal tech devices.

Millennials are also often negatively stereotyped. Though some unexpected traits these Millennials or “young folks” have are hardworking, humble, inquisitive, and just to name a few.

The trend of the younger generation being a lazy, unmotivated, and a non-compliant generation has been used since ancient Greece. The elders said that the next generation will be the downfall of the empire because they have no respect for their elders and no respect towards the Gods. 

Millennials tend to not want to be pinned to a tradition or location. This is why some are moving from large cities to smaller cities, said Daly. Some of the major cities have high costs to live there and so many people are moving away from those expensive places, including Millennials.

“We are seeing a trend that Millennials are more focused on doing things they think that makes a difference in a bigger way, opposed from just finding a life long career and making money,” Ryan added. “These young people are one of the most educated generations and highly qualified coming out of college, and businesses want to be in cities where they have access to young professionals.”

Though it is more often heard that Millennials want a car-free urban lifestyle, Daly said we are seeing recently that they are growing up, having kids, moving to the suburbs, and really just “becoming their parents.”