Why the Rise of Urban Boomers Is a Myth 

Who would you choose to be more likely to live in the city: your grandfather who is afraid to drive with the radio on, or your yoga-going mom who just got the latest Apple watch? Many would say that Baby Boomers are more likely to live in the city than older generations, but data shows that they’re actually less likely to be urban dwellers than their parents. Though it may seem that there are more Boomers in cities, it is because there are more of them in general than previous generations. However, even though Boomers tend not to live in cities, they’re leading more urban lives in the suburbs, renting apartments or living in multifamily units.

Baby boomers are such a large group that you can find them practically everywhere in great numbers, including in urban areas. Today in cities, for example, you’re more likely to run into a 54-to-72-year-old with your bike or scooter (please be careful!) than you would have in the past.

Maybe that’s the reason many news media accounts have promoted the idea that boomers are returning to cities at a rapid rate.

It seems to make sense. Many downtowns are safer and livelier than they were 30 years ago. At a certain point, downsizing and moving back to the city has appeal — it’s closer to work and all those interesting things to do, and the children might have finally left the nest.

There’s one problem. The story line is wrong: Boomers today are actually less urban than previous generations of older people.

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