Reports: Jacksonville isn't one of the best places for Gen Z
are fairing worse in Jacksonville than many other places, according to a couple of recent surveys on their job market and living standards. As the generation graduates and looks for their first jobs — and with the ubiquity of remote jobs, they have more flexibility than ever in choosing where they settle down — many cities are competing for young, entry-level workers.
Notably, the majority of the best cities for this generation are concentrated in the Northeast, Midwest and Southwest. Only Atlanta — ranked No. 1 — and Jacksonville — ranked No. 23 — made the top 25 list from the Southeast,, which is a real estate listing service owned by data firm Yardi Matrix. The study “ranked the largest U.S. cities on their potential for relocating Gen Zers on eight select indexes.” Those eight categories were: affordability, percentage of Gen Zers, school enrollment, unemployment rate, internet speed, recreational establishments, green commuting and parks per 10,000 residents. Jacksonville finished with 45.1 cumulative points in the categories, placing above the next closest Florida city, Miami, at No. 33 with 41.18 cumulative points. The First Coast's best category was for affordability, ranking as the 12th most affordable place to live for this demographic. However, the region was near the bottom of the pack when it came to the overall numbers of Gen Zers living here as well as the relatively high unemployment rate for the age bracket. Even though relatively fewer Gen Zers live on the First Coast, compared to other cities of similar size, they are doing worse financially compared to others and the national average,, an online company that puts homeowners in contact with building and renovation specialists. While housing has become more expensive, members of Gen Z also struggle with affordability because they have not yet reached their full earning potential. Gen Zers are either early in their careers or still in school, so their earnings lag behind members of other generations. The median annual wage for a full-time, adult Gen Z worker is just $24,000, less than half of what more experienced workers in Generation X or the Baby Boomer generation earn nationally, according to the report.The analysis found that 28.6% of Gen Z adults in the Jacksonville metro area live on their own, compared to 30.6% nationally. Here is a summary of the data for the Jacksonville metro area: 30,855Median annual wage of full-time adult Gen Zers living on their own:For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States: 8 millionMedian annual wage of full-time adult Gen Zers living on their own:
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