Evansville becoming a magnet for millennials?

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The "millennial" generation has been called many things, but what cannot be denied is the economic impact the people in this age group are having on the economy as they enter their prime earning years.

Those are typical years for people looking to buy their first homes, and millennials (generally considered in the age range of 22 to 36) now represent the largest share of any age group in the housing market - nearly 36 percent last year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

And guess what city is increasingly one of the top targets for millennial homebuyers? Yep, Evansville comes in at No. 10 on a list courtesy of Realtor.com.

In fact, last year, millennials accounted for more than 55 percent of home purchases in the area.

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The Realtor.com story notes downtown and suburban reaches of the city as being of particular interest to young home buyers. Relatively inexpensive cost of living and a stable economy would seem to be among key factors that make the area desirable to younger couples looking to settle down and start a family.

One area real estate agent, however, sees a flaw in the article's methodology.

"It (the list) is in no way a reflection of which cities are best for millennials, or a much better indicator of the health of cities and millennial populations: millennial in-migration." Philip R. Hooper of Berkshire Hathaway said in a public Facebook post commenting on the realtor.com article and accompanying list.

Hooper believes that more work is needed to make the area a better place for young adults and particularly one that appeals to attract a younger demographic to the area may fall flat without some real substance behind it.

"No generation has been advertised to so much in American history; millennials can smell BS a mile away," he said. ".... Keeping things authentic and avoiding blind enthusiasm and unjustified praise is pretty dang important."

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