Regional leaders are trying to figure out how to keep young workers in Hampton Roads, a problem business leaders say is one of the biggest threats to the region’s economy.
Demographic data shows Hampton Roads is losing young professionals and recent college graduates to areas like Raleigh at alarming rates.
The 20-to-35-year-old demographic is declining in Hampton Roads and Census data shows about a third of residents living here at age 16 don’t live in the region by 26.
The Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable, a group of local business and education leaders, recently commissioned a study of the problem.
“We want to use this outmigration data to understand why people are leaving, but more importantly, how do we solve for it,” said Nancy Grden, the Roundtable’s president and CEO.
Grden shared the study’s findings at Thursday’s Hampton Roads Planning District Commission meeting.
The report flags affordability, availability of housing and healthcare, a lack of job opportunities and perceptions of safety as the biggest things pushing people away from the region.
Grden said those leaving are mostly non-military workers who moved here as adults and don’t have kids.
But a different group could be key to tackling the issue.
“Boomerangers are people who grew up here, left, came back (or) went to school here, left, came back,” she said.
Those 'Boomerangers' often return because of family ties, though many said the cost of living is also part of the reason they returned.
The report found a lack of a strong regional identity for Hampton Roads can also make it hard to keep young residents.
“The region’s identity is very vaguely defined. There’s no clear picture of ‘What is Hampton Roads?’” Grden said.
That identity crisis was echoed by HRPDC members and guests at the meeting.
Several commented on a lack of regional cohesion and branding as one of the things that makes it hard to attract and keep workers.
