Sunday, April 10, 2011

USA Today: Urban centers draw more young, educated adults



Educated 20- and 30-somethings are flocking to live downtown in the USA's largest cities — even urban centers that are losing population.

In more than two-thirds of the nation's 51 largest cities, the young, college-educated population in the past decade grew twice as fast within 3 miles of the urban center as in the rest of the metropolitan area — up an average 26% compared with 13% in other parts.

Even in Detroit, where the population shrank by 25% since 2000, downtown added 2,000 young and educated residents during that time, up 59% , according to analysis of Census data by Impresa Inc., an economic consulting firm.

"This is a real glimmer of hope," says Carol Coletta, head of CEOs for Cities, a non-profit consortium of city leaders that commissioned the research. "Clearly, the next generation of Americans is looking for different kinds of lifestyles — walkable, art, culture, entertainment."

In Cleveland, which lost 17% of its population, downtown added 1,300 college-educated people ages 25 to 34, up 49%.

"It tells us we've been on the right track," says David Egner, president and CEO of Detroit's Hudson-Webber Foundation. Three anchor institutions —Wayne State University, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit Medical Center — recently launched "15 by 15," a campaign to bring 15,000 young, educated people to the downtown area by 2015.

Among the lures are cash incentives: a $25,000 forgivable loan to buy (need to stay at least five years) downtown or $3,500 on a two-year lease.


Preference for urban living among young adults — especially the well-educated — has increased sharply, data show:

•In 2000, young adults with a four-year degree were about 61% more likely to live in close-in urban neighborhoods than their less-educated counterparts. Now, they are about 94% more likely.

•In five metropolitan areas — Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Washington — about two-thirds of young adults who live in the city center have at least a four-year college degree. Less than a third of the nation's 25- to 34-year-olds do.

"This is no longer anecdotal," Coletta says. "Every metro area has good suburbs, but if you don't have a strong downtown and close-in neighborhoods, then you're not offering a choice that many of them are seeking. Offering that choice is a real competitive advantage for cities."

Young populations

Gain from 2000 to 2009 in 25- to 34-year-olds who have a four-year degree or higher and live within 3 miles of a metro area's central business district:

(Columbus, Ohio 4,032.9 45%)

Atlanta 9,722.2 61%
Austin 3,725.6 24%
Baltimore 8,625.0 66%
Birmingham, Ala. -601.0 -12%
Boston 20,558.0 40%
Buffalo 1,101.1 27%
Charlotte 2,180.1 34%
Chicago 15,886.6 33%
Cincinnati 2,000.9 28%
Cleveland 1,301.7 49%
Columbus, Ohio 4,032.9 45%
Dallas 5,080.6 56%
Denver 5,236.9 25%
Detroit 1,967.6 59%
Hartford, Conn. 426.6 8%
Houston 6,518.9 62%
Indianapolis 2,669.6 83%
Jacksonville 610.8 41%
Kansas City, Mo.-Kan. 1,300.3 50%
Las Vegas 304.4 19%
Los Angeles 5,695.2 55%
Louisville 443.8 10%
Memphis 964.5 26%
Miami 4,378.2 68%
Milwaukee 3,655.7 38%
Minneapolis 4,268.8 23%
Nashville 1,936.7 41%
New Orleans -2,220.8 -24%
New York 26,125.9 13%
Oklahoma City 106.2 5%
Orlando 1,692.5 28%
Philadelphia 16,032.2 57%
Phoenix 306.5 14%
Pittsburgh 3,154.9 40%
Portland, Ore. 4,083.3 22%
Providence 3,484.3 38%
Raleigh, N.C. 1,670.8 28%
Richmond, Va. 1,058.5 16%
Riverside, Calif. 1,572.8 65%
Rochester, N.Y. 809.8 8%
Sacramento 2,053.6 28%
St. Louis 2,699.6 87%
Salt Lake City 1,903.0 21%
San Antonio 146.7 7%
San Diego 5,638.4 54%
San Francisco 3,809.3 5%
San Jose 1,201.4 10%
Seattle 5,696.4 24%
Tampa 974.2 21%
Virginia Beach 566.7 15%
Washington 13,610.2 31%

Source: Analysis of data from 2000 Census and 2005-2009 American Community Survey by Impresa for CEOs for Cities

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