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Fresno has proven to be a top landing place for young people leaving two of Southern California’s largest metro areas over the past year.
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Fresno is the second most common destination for Gen Zers (born 1997-2012) moving from Los Angeles and the fourth most common location for those moving from Riverside, according to a report from U-Haul published in July.
The LA Times even posed the question in its story on the report this week: Is Fresno the new L.A.?
Mayor Jerry Dyer made comments published in the Times story that Fresno has seen a lot of relocation from Los Angeles and the Bay Area since 2021, and credited the city’s affordable cost of living, limited traffic congestion and central location near natural parks.
Fresno offers much cheaper housing prices than areas along the coast, with an average home price of $400,000, and was recently ranked as one of the 10 cities in the United States that have seen job opportunities increase.
The relocation findings are from U-Haul’s 2026 midyear migration report, which tracked one-way transactions by generation of those moving from June 2025 through June 2026. Fresno did not appear among the five leading destinations for baby boomers, Gen X, or millennials leaving Los Angeles or Riverside, singling out Gen Z.
Dyer told the Times that many of Fresno’s new young residents have been choosing to live downtown, a trend the city hasn’t seen in decades.
Kelly Gibson, a residential manager with Manco Abbott, a real estate company with a portfolio of mainly downtown Fresno apartments, agreed with Dyer’s statement.
To be sure, downtown has struggled with stalled projects and vacant properties, but Gibson told The Bee that an influx of new businesses, housing, events and nightlife downtown in recent years has drawn more of Fresno’s local residents to live in the area.
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“This growth is also attracting a younger generation, including residents relocating from Los Angeles and the Bay Area who are seeking the urban architecture and lifestyle they have grown accustomed to,” Gibson said.
Manco Abbott manages eight apartment communities downtown, primarily in the Mural District. A few of the properties are mixed-use spaces, combining residential and commercial uses, including Iron Bird Lofts and Mural District Lofts.
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment is between $1,350 and $1,875, depending on the property, Gibson said. Whereas in Los Angeles, the average rent for a one-bedroom is $2,650, according to Zillow.
“Downtown is becoming an increasingly appealing place to call home — bringing a renewed sense of energy and excitement to the city center,” Gibson said.
Top destinations for Gen Z leaving Southern California
The five leading destinations for Gen Z U-Haul customers leaving Los Angeles:
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Fresno
- Bakersfield
- Houston
- Dallas
The five leading destinations for Gen Z U-Haul customers leaving Riverside:
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Phoenix
- Fresno
- Dallas
U-Haul did not provide the number of transactions behind the rankings in its report. Customers must be 18 to rent a U-Haul truck and 16 to rent a U-Haul trailer, which means many of the youngest Gen Zers are not eligible for either.
Fresno’s Latino population has also been on the rise with growing college enrollment, business growth and new cultural spaces.
“The city is becoming a place where young Latinos see their futures,” Former Bee intern Maryanne Casa-Perez wrote in an opinion column. “For some, like me, it offers a sense of community that was missing elsewhere. For others, it’s about affordability, opportunity or simply a sense of belonging. Together, these trends are reshaping Fresno into a haven for a new generation.”
Where do people go when they move from Fresno?
The most common destinations for those moving out of Fresno, across all generations, were other parts of the Central Valley, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Yuma.
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