The main attractions of a hometown career
20%
20% said the main attraction of a hometown career was family proximity — the most common answer.
n = 3,052 Americans aged 18-35 in towns and cities under 500,000 residents · Fielded 2026 · Cherry Data Signals
Breakdown
family proximity20%
lower living costs16%
friends nearby12%
an enjoyable lifestyle11%
community belonging10%
helping the local economy7%
a family business6%
starting their own business6%
raising children where they grew up6%
suitable career opportunities6%
0%50%100%
Figures are rounded and may not total exactly 100%.
Methodology
- Sample
- 3,052
- Population
- Americans aged 18-35 in towns and cities under 500,000 residents
- Country
- United States
- Fielded
- 2026
- Research by
- Cherry Data Signals
- Study
- Why Young Adults Stay in Their Hometowns
Cite this statistic
Cherry Data Signals (2026). "The main attractions of a hometown career" Survey of 3,052 Americans aged 18-35 in towns and cities under 500,000 residents, United States. https://cherrysignals.com/statistics/the-main-attractions-of-a-hometown-career
Free to reproduce with attribution to Cherry Data Signals and a link to this page.
Related statistics
- Committed to staying in or returning to their hometown to build their career; 49% were not51%
- Young adults committed to hometown careers#1
- Important that their career benefits their hometown: 33% very and 46% somewhat important79%
- Benefiting their hometown was not very important; 6% said not important at all15%
- How young adults would contribute to their hometown22%
- How successful people should give back to their hometown33%
- The pay cut young adults would accept to work in their hometown10.5%
- Parents preferred their child to become an electrician rather than a software developer; 38% preferred software development62%
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