College Graduates Leaving Northeastern Metros in Record Numbers

The New York Times recently used their Upshot data team to analyze migration of college graduates in the US.They found that in the 12 most expensive metro areas (Boston is #2 on that list), college graduates are leaving in record numbers since 2016 and that the flight from those areas was supercharged by the pandemic in 2020. The chart below shows net domestic migration of working age (21-64 years old) college graduates for those top 12 expensive areas:What's interesting is that they are mostly moving to other large metro areas (more than 1 million residents) that offer similar amenities, but with larger houses and apartments at a lower price. This chart shows the 41 large metro areas that have been gaining college-educated working-age migrants:Smaller "mid-sized" metro areas (with 250,000 to 1,000,000 residents) have gained since the pandemic, as have rural areas.The Times article says that while Americans with college degrees are increasingly mobile, those without are pretty much stuck where they are. College degrees are nearly always requisites for the white collar professional jobs that allow remote work, while most work that can't be done remotely is done by workers who don't have college degrees. Some highly-paid professions (doctors, dentists, most lawyers and judges) do require a physical presence, but those workers can find a job wherever they live.The Times article, however, notes that while the lack of affordable housing for low wage earners in expensive metro areas is a known-known, the increasing prices for housing "up the income ladder" is also making high earners leave the big expensive areas on the coasts. However, Boston does currently enjoy a net inflow of college-educated workers as the Upshot chart below shows:  The Times article concludes that movement is all about choices: more college-educated, well-paid employees have the choice to live where they want and have better jobs, larger homes, and amenities they desire, while lower-paid non-college-educated employees don't have that choice and have to stay where they are.