Where baby boomers are moving

CreativeStudio79 // Shutterstock As baby boomers continue to retire in droves, they are likely to consider downsizing their living arrangements to accommodate their new lifestyles. While they have the highest portion of wealth among all generations, they may no longer need to pay to be close to work in a busy and expensive city center, or may no longer desire to maintain large homes and yards. Often seeking out a familiar community, warm weather, and other amenities, baby boomers may also be looking for the best bang for their buck. The communities chosen by members of this generation ultimately benefit from their dollars in the local economy, and may also see shifts in the overall demographics and job market as a result. With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 267 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of the population represented by incoming baby boomers. Key Findings Florida cities and Phoenix suburbs are preferred among baby boomers who are relocating. Palm Coast had the highest rate of baby boomers moving in at 3.69% of the total population. Other Floridian cities among the top 10 include Cape Coral (3.12%), Pompano Beach (3.07%), Clearwater (3%), Fort Lauderdale (2.75%), Gainesville (2.75%), and Palm Bay (2.70%). Similarly, Phoenix, AZ suburbs took the third, fourth, and fifth rankings, including Scottsdale (3.11%), Surprise (3.10%), and Goodyear (23.09%). This California city had the highest rate of baby boomers moving in from abroad. A neighborhood in the San Jose metro area, Sunnyvale ranked 36th overall with 2.12% of the population coming in as new boomer transplants. Of these new 3,168 resident baby boomers, 1,613 of them–more than half–came from abroad. More than 25% of the population are baby boomers in 18 cities. While most of the top 10 destination cities for baby boomers also have the highest concentrations of baby boomers overall, other cities with particularly high boomer populations include Pembroke Pines, FL (29.18%); Thousand Oaks, CA (28.67%); Port St. Lucie, FL (26.76%); St. Petersburg, FL (26.55%); Hialeah, FL (26.15%); Garden Grove, CA (25.61%); Springfield, IL (25.49%); Huntington Beach, CA (25.30%); Spring Hill, FL (25.28%); Oceanside, CA (26.23%); and Vallejo, CA (25.08%). These popular boomer destinations have the lowest housing costs. Of the top 20 cities where baby boomers are flocking, Las Cruces, NM has the lowest median monthly housing costs at $960. The second lowest housing cost of the top 20 is Lakeland, FL, with median housing costs of $1,205 per month. Of the top 20 cities with the highest baby boomer populations, the lowest housing costs are in Topeka, KS ($924 per month) and Springfield, IL ($940 per month). Top 20 Cities Where Baby Boomers Are Moving SmartAsset 1. Palm Coast, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.69% Number of boomers moved in: 3,753 Total population (1 year and older): 101,837 Total number of baby boomers: 32,278 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,359 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 599 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,767 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 29 Median household income: $70,037 Median monthly housing costs: $1,391 2. Cape Coral, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.12% Number of boomers moved in: 6,937 Total population (1 year and older): 222,534 Total number of baby boomers: 69,729 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,875 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 573 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 2,639 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 1,849 Median household income: $74,634 Median monthly housing costs: $1,631 3. Scottsdale, Arizona Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.11% Number of boomers moved in: 7,541 Total population (1 year and older): 242,388 Total number of baby boomers: 75,209 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 3,960 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 363 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 2,789 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 429 Median household income: $106,058 Median monthly housing costs: $1,875 4. Surprise, Arizona Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.10% Number of boomers moved in: 4,855 Total population (1 year and older): 156,492 Total number of baby boomers: 38,181 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,522 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 115 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,935 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 283 Median household income: $89,560 Median monthly housing costs: $1,589 5. Goodyear, Arizona Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.09% Number of boomers moved in: 3,398 Total population (1 year and older): 110,133 Total number of baby boomers: 24,213 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,449 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 179 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,770 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 0 Median household income: $105,160 Median monthly housing costs: $1,755 6. Pompano Beach, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.07% Number of boomers moved in: 3,472 Total population (1 year and older): 113,039 Total number of baby boomers: 30,888 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,595 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 292 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 556 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 1,028 Median household income: $61,419 Median monthly housing costs: $1,591 7. Clearwater, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 3.00% Number of boomers moved in: 3,469 Total population (1 year and older): 115,632 Total number of baby boomers: 32,780 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,830 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 157 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,005 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 476 Median household income: $73,178 Median monthly housing costs: $1,548 8. Fort Lauderdale, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.75% Number of boomers moved in: 5,025 Total population (1 year and older): 182,822 Total number of baby boomers: 49,377 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,564 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 527 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,523 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 411 Median household income: $80,539 Median monthly housing costs: $1,910 9. Gainesville, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.75% Number of boomers moved in: 3,973 Total population (1 year and older): 144,686 Total number of baby boomers: 21,702 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,685 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 319 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 869 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 100 Median household income: $47,099 Median monthly housing costs: $1,275 10. Palm Bay, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.70% Number of boomers moved in: 3,604 Total population (1 year and older): 133,709 Total number of baby boomers: 36,515 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,985 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 552 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 969 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 98 Median household income: $67,928 Median monthly housing costs: $1,263 11. Miami, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.59% Number of boomers moved in: 11,696 Total population (1 year and older): 451,265 Total number of baby boomers: 96,503 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 7,947 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 522 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 631 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 2,596 Median household income: $68,635 Median monthly housing costs: $1,869 12. Lakeland, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.57% Number of boomers moved in: 3,083 Total population (1 year and older): 119,839 Total number of baby boomers: 25,665 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 907 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 545 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,426 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 205 Median household income: $57,131 Median monthly housing costs: $1,205 13. Wilmington, North Carolina Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.46% Number of boomers moved in: 2,994 Total population (1 year and older): 121,626 Total number of baby boomers: 26,747 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,489 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 236 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,215 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 55 Median household income: $71,362 Median monthly housing costs: $1,457 14. Paradise, Nevada Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.45% Number of boomers moved in: 4,316 Total population (1 year and older): 176,030 Total number of baby boomers: 37,787 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,055 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 0 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,709 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 552 Median household income: $61,680 Median monthly housing costs: $1,360 15. West Palm Beach, Florida Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.44% Number of boomers moved in: 3,009 Total population (1 year and older): 123,075 Total number of baby boomers: 26,681 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,061 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 282 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 393 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 273 Median household income: $83,205 Median monthly housing costs: $1,825 16. Allentown, Pennsylvania Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.37% Number of boomers moved in: 2,917 Total population (1 year and older): 123,307 Total number of baby boomers: 21,456 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,335 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 258 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 449 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 875 Median household income: $47,175 Median monthly housing costs: $1,232 17. Tyler, Texas Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.36% Number of boomers moved in: 2,572 Total population (1 year and older): 108,779 Total number of baby boomers: 22,329 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 1,580 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 196 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 391 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 405 Median household income: $68,441 Median monthly housing costs: $1,246 18. Las Cruces, New Mexico Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.36% Number of boomers moved in: 2,687 Total population (1 year and older): 113,884 Total number of baby boomers: 22,301 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 970 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 569 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 1,148 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 0 Median household income: $55,012 Median monthly housing costs: $960 19. Henderson, Nevada Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.35% Number of boomers moved in: 7,866 Total population (1 year and older): 334,461 Total number of baby boomers: 81,630 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 3,996 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 42 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 3,498 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 331 Median household income: $82,476 Median monthly housing costs: $1,741 20. Oceanside, California Percent of population represented by new baby boomer transplants: 2.32% Number of boomers moved in: 3,908 Total population (1 year and older): 168,494 Total number of baby boomers: 42,515 Baby boomers moved in from the same county: 2,563 Baby boomers moved in from a different county, same state: 711 Baby boomers moved in from a different state: 485 Baby boomers moved in from abroad: 148 Median household income: $99,108 Median monthly housing costs: $2,245 Data and Methodology Data comes from the Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2023. This SmartAsset study included 267 cities with available data and 100,000 or more people aged one or over. Boomers were defined as people ages 55 to 74. Cities were ranked by the percentage of the total population represented by baby boomers who moved into the city in 2023. Median household income and monthly housing costs were also examined. This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.