Family and cost of living are pulling New Yorkers back to the towns they grew up in – and those willing to trade pay for proximity would accept an average 10.5% cut to do it.
Getting ahead has long come with an assumed first step: getting out. Leave your hometown, find a bigger job market, and return for Thanksgiving with something impressive to report.
But plenty of young New Yorkers would like to write a different career story.
A survey by resume.io of 3,052 respondents ages 18-35 found that more than half (58%) of young New Yorkers are committed to staying in or returning to their hometown to build their careers. For many, success includes being close enough to see family, support neighborhood businesses, and give back to the communities where they grew up.
The research from resume.io explored the towns and cities where young adults are most committed to putting down professional roots. It also examined what draws them back, what they hope to contribute, and how much salary they might sacrifice for a familiar ZIP code.
The top 3 New York cities where young adults want to build careers at home are:
#1. Jamestown
Manufacturing still matters in Jamestown, but healthcare and education now give the city some of its most important routes into professional work. UPMC Chautauqua anchors the medical sector, while Jamestown Community College and long-established manufacturers support careers spanning healthcare, teaching, engineering and industrial production. For young people from southwestern New York, that combination can make returning home a more practical proposition, particularly for those who want to remain close to family without giving up access to skilled or technical employment.
#2. Utica
A growing healthcare sector and new investment in advanced manufacturing are giving Utica a stronger professional base than its post-industrial image might suggest. Mohawk Valley Health System remains a major employer, while Wolfspeed and other technology-focused businesses are helping expand opportunities in semiconductors, engineering and skilled production across the wider Mohawk Valley. With education and health services continuing to add jobs locally, younger residents have more reasons to see the region as somewhere they can build a specialized career rather than automatically leaving for New York’s larger metros.
#3. Elmira
Industry remains a significant part of Elmira’s economy, with manufacturing accounting for a notable share of local employment alongside healthcare, education and transportation. The wider Southern Tier also benefits from major industrial and technology employers, helping sustain careers in engineering, production and skilled trades as well as medicine and public services. For younger residents who grew up in the region, that mix provides a credible path back into a working economy that still rewards technical skills without requiring a permanent move to a much larger city.
Infographic showing study results
What Brings People Home? Family Wins. Cheaper Living Helps.
When asked what would most attract them to building their working life in their hometown, respondents put family first. A lower cost of living came next, suggesting that emotional ties and financial considerations both play a role in deciding where to build a career.
- Being close to family: 20.0%
- A lower cost of living: 16.0%
- Being close to friends: 12.0%
- A lifestyle they enjoy: 11.0%
- Feeling part of the community: 10.0%
- Helping the local economy thrive: 7.0%
- Working for or taking over a family business: 6.0%
- Starting a business of their own: 6.0%
- Raising children where they grew up: 6.0%
- Suitable career opportunities: 6.0%
Young New Yorkers Want Their Work to Mean Something Locally
Nearly eight in 10 respondents (79.0%) say it’s important that their career benefits the community where they grew up. That gives hometown attachment an economic dimension. Respondents are thinking about their own prospects, but many also care about where the benefits of their working lives end up.
Giving Back Might Start With Where You Buy Lunch
When asked how they would like to give back to their hometown in the future, respondents most often prioritized supporting locally owned businesses, with working for a local employer coming in second.
The full breakdown was:
- Regularly support locally owned businesses: 22.0%
- Work for a local employer: 16.0%
- Create jobs for residents: 13.0%
- Start or expand a local business: 11.0%
- Donate to local causes: 11.0%
- Mentor young people from the area: 9.0%
- Volunteer for local organizations: 9.0%
- Work in a local public service, such as teaching or emergency services: 6.0%
- Run for local office or serve on a community board: 3.0%
Opening a business or creating jobs requires resources and opportunity. Buying from an independent store offers a more immediate way to participate. The leading answer suggests that, for many young adults, giving back to their hometown can be part of everyday life long before it becomes a major undertaking.
Does Success Come With a Hometown Obligation?
Most respondents agreed that people who become successful have a responsibility to give something back to the community where they grew up. But enthusiasm was qualified, with roughly a third taking a neutral position.
- Strongly agree: 22.0%
- Somewhat agree: 33.0%
- Neither agree nor disagree: 32.0%
- Somewhat disagree: 8.0%
- Strongly disagree: 5.0%
There is a useful distinction here. Many young adults want their own careers to benefit home, while fewer are ready to make giving back an obligation for everyone who succeeds. Local loyalty appears to have broad appeal. A compulsory hometown debt is a harder sell.
Home Has a Value, and Sometimes a Salary Limit
The survey also tested how far that loyalty might stretch financially. Assuming the same role, working hours, and living costs, respondents were asked how much of a pay cut they would be willing to accept to work in their hometown.
Among those willing to take a pay cut to work in their hometown, the average acceptable reduction was estimated at 10.5%.
“There’s a common assumption that if you want to build a successful career, you need to leave your hometown and move somewhere else with more opportunities,” says Amanda Augustine, CPCC and resident career expert at resume.io. “However, it’s important to remember that everyone defines success differently. For some young adults, being close to family, feeling connected to their community, and having a life outside of work are just as important as climbing the corporate ladder.
“That said, there’s a difference between wanting to stay close to home and being able to build the career you want there. Before deciding where to put down roots, I’d encourage young professionals to look beyond the salary and consider the bigger picture. Are there opportunities to develop their skills, take on new responsibilities, and advance over time? What does the local job market look like for someone in their field? The goal is to find a place where they can build a fulfilling career and the kind of life they want, whether that’s in their hometown or somewhere new.”