Gen Z Stats: Who Are They & What Do We Know About Them?

A List of Comprehensive Generation Z Statistics

Latest update: January 2024

 

• • FAQs About Generation Z
  • Who Is the Typical Gen Z?
  • Gen Z & The Housing Market
  • Gen Z & Education
  • Gen Z in the Workplace
  • Financial & Investment Habits of Gen Z
  • Gen Z: Time Use & Lifestyle
  • Gen Z: Digital Natives — Tech & Social Media
  • Gen Z as Customers — Shopping Habits
  • Expert Insights on Gen Z
  • Sources & Methodology

FAQs About Gen Z

• What years are Gen Zs? When does Gen Z start? When does Gen Z end?

Gen Z is the generational cohort born between 1997 and 2012, meaning the oldest Gen Zs are 27 years old in 2024.

• What generation comes before Gen Z?

The generation before Gen Z is the Millennial generation, born between 1981 and 1996.

• What generation comes after Gen Z?

The generation following Gen Z is generation Alpha.

• How many Gen Zs are there in the U.S.?

In the U.S., Gen Zs represent around 21% of the population [1], or more than 65.5 million people. [2]

 

Who Is the Typical Gen Z?

 

Generation Z & The Housing Market

Gen Z is already shaping key aspects of the housing market — from amenities catering to specific needs to redefining renting and homeownership.

Two thirds of Gen Zs live with their family

A 2023 analysis showed that two thirds of adults aged 18 to 24 lived with their parents. [3] That’s 68% of Gen Zs deciding not to live on their own. Essentially, this is a generation that’s willing to delay their “move-out-of-the-parents’-home” date in order to save enough money and be able to live comfortably when they do go out on their own.

The largest share of Gen Zs that have left the nest are renters

Of the Gen Zs who have left their family home, 84% are renters and 16% are owners. When looking at the population overall, fewer than 1% of all U.S. homeowners are Gen Zs, whereas they make up 9% of all renters in the U.S. [4] Of the Gen Z renters on the market, only 3.9% rent on their own, without roommates. [5]

Most Gen Zs spend under $1,500 on monthly rent

Of those who reported the cost of their rent on this survey, around 60% of Gen Zs spend under $1,500 per month on rent and 30% spend more than $1,500 on rent. [6]

What are Gen Zs looking for in an apartment?

According to a 2022 RentCafe survey [7], most Gen Z renters (71%) wanted a washer and dryer in their apartment. And, as far as the apartment community they lived in, the most desired amenity was parking (60%), followed closely by high-speed internet (57%).

Price is the #1 deciding factor for Gen Zs when choosing an apartment

Notably, 84% of the respondents to our survey agreed that the price of an apartment was the most important factor for them. Following it was the neighborhood, which was chosen by 47% of respondents.

Gen Zs want to pay their rent and submit maintenance requests online

As expected, 35% of Gen Zs said that technology in their apartments and communities was very important. Specifically, the top digital feature that they were interested in when choosing an apartment was the option to submit rent payments and maintenance requests online.

Gen Z share of population in top 100 cities

Lubbock, TX, is the most popular city for Gen Zs, with a share of 29% of the total population. [8]

Generation Z & Education

Gen Z is a generation whose learning style is versatile; they take advantage of the existing technology and use different tools and techniques for learning. For instance 59% of them say that YouTube is their #1 preferred method for learning. [9]

Based on college enrollment statistics, as well as the highest level of education attained and the high school dropout rate, Gen Z is the most educated generation so far [10] compared to their predecessors. They are very interested in engineering and sciences, which represent the top majors for Gen Zs (18%). This generation is also interested in mastering business, health, and medicine (16%). [11]

Gen Zs are careful about updating their resume and presenting their skills to the world, and the top skills they prioritize on their CVs are multitasking, presenting, digital marketing, and volunteering. [12]

Sciences are top undergraduate majors chosen by Gen Zs

As for their preferred colleges and universities, Harvard University took the first spot, followed by New York University, Texas A&M University, the University of California and Yale University. [13]

Generation Z in the Workplace

With more and more Gen Zs graduating and entering the workforce, their choice of employers — as well as the demands they have from a job — are likely to shift the focus of most large-scale employers. As they enter the job market, one thing is clear: Gen Z does not see their first job as their lifelong career.

Moreover, Gen Zs do not set their hearts on one job. Instead, they expect to shift careers and employers more frequently than their predecessors. According to a LinkedIn study, 80% more Gen Zs switched jobs in 2021 compared to 2020, and 54% of Gen Z workers considered quitting their current job. [14]

When asked to rank six reasons why they would change their job, [15] Gen Zs chose better compensation as the most important reason, followed by better alignments with interests and values. Compared to other generations, Gen Z desires to work in a place that reflects their values, preferring to change their job, rather than stay at a company they don’t align with. Whereas 69% of Gen Zs said this, only 59% of Millennials, 45% of Gen Xers and 40% of Baby Boomers felt the same way.

Possibly fueled by a constant increase in mobility and the choice of lifestyle renting, many Gen Z workers want a workplace that allows flexibility in terms of location and hours, as well as remote work. Among the factors that influenced Gen Zs, the most important when choosing a potential employer were: [16]

Leisure and hospitality was the top industry with the highest share of Gen Z employees. It was followed by wholesale and retail, as well as health care and social assistance. [17] However, these are likely starter jobs for many, and this ranking is likely to change as they settle into different industries.

Mental health days and mental health training are important for Gen Z employees. [18]

Less than 10% of the Gen Z who are part of the labor force are unemployed. [19]

Financial & Investment Habits of Generation Z

Proving that they’re a generation that places emphasis on education and skill development, furthering education (41%) and advancing career/increasing salary (36%) were among the top financial priorities for Gen Zs. Also at the top of the list were priorities related to financial independence and long-term thinking, such as building credit (27%) and learning to invest/investing more (25%). [20]

 

What’s more, Gen Z is also a generation that wants financial independence. The median weekly earnings for a fulltime Gen Z employee is $715. [21] More optimistic than their predecessors, they expect to stop working at age 57. [22] For comparison, Millennials see retirement as possible at 61, Gen Xers at 64 and Baby Boomers only at 68.

Working toward that goal, Gen Zers are already investing: Despite their young age, 54% of Gen Zs reported having investments, most of which were in stocks, cryptocurrency and mutual funds. [23] Conversely, only 43% of Baby Boomers reported having investments. Interestingly, Gen Zs had fewer investments in crypto and NFTs than Millennials and Gen Xers, but more than Baby Boomers.

Most Gen Zs plan to rely on their pension & investments for financial support later in life

Around 31% of Gen Zs plan to rely on their 401k in retirement, the most popular source of financial support. [24]

Gen Z: Time Use & Lifestyle

Gen Zs spend more time sleeping than other generations, with an average of 9 hours and 37 minutes per day.  [25] 

They are also the most active of all the generations, with an average of 28 minutes per day being spent doing sports or exercising. [26]

Still reflecting concern for their well-being and appearance, Gen Zs also spend the most time out of all the generations engaged in self-care practices, with an average of 5 hours and 15 minutes per week. [27]

On average, Gen Zs spend around 27 minutes per week attending social events, more than other generations. [28]

Gen Zs spend, on average, 7 hours and 46 minutes per week eating and drinking, being on the lower end of the spectrum compared to other generations. [29]

Listening to music is the chief activity for Gen Zs to do in their free time, with watching YouTube videos being a close second. The third spot is taken up by video games, followed closely by browsing social media and watching movies.[30]

Generation Z: Digital Natives — Tech & Social Media

With the oldest of this generation being born in 1997, Gen Zs are considered digital natives. As such, it’s no surprise that they spend a lot of their time on their smartphones (an average of 6.5 hours per day) [31] and online [32], and they utilize the digital medium as a resource for everything from shopping to learning and news.

Snapchat, TikTok & Instagram overturn Facebook & Twitter in Gen Z’s preferences

Around 44.5 million Gen Zs use Snapchat, the most popular social media platform for this generation. [33]

Gen Z’s favorite free-time pursuit is going online

The vast majority of Gen Zs (74%) spend their free time online. [34]

Gen Z doesn’t rely on TV for news, but on social media

Half of Gen Z get their news and information from social media. [35]

Majority of Gen Zs use their smartphones more than other devices

Three quarters of Gen Zs use their smartphones most frequently. [36]

Generation Z as Customers — Shopping Habits

As they accrue more spending power, Gen Zs start to define new guidelines for marketers and brands that want them as customers. According to what they’re spending their money on, that’s a lot of different industries.

What are Gen Zs shopping for?

Gen Zs shop mostly for clothes and shoes, followed by books, music, apps, and games. [37]

Most Gen Zs prefer paying with debit cards

The majority (52%) of Gen Zs use their debit cards to complete payments. [38]

Most Gen Zs prefer shopping in stores

Despite being a generation of digital natives, Gen Zs are in-person shoppers most of the time. [39]

Gen Z’s decision-making process when spending money

When looking for inspiration for their purchases, Gen Zs turn to dedicated websites, such as Amazon and Target. But, for recommendations, most of them turn to family and friends. [40]

Most Gen Zs consider ratings and reviews when researching a product. [41] Almost half of them turn to YouTube to help them in this process.

What do Gen Zs want from brands?

Gen Zs are frequently in contact with the brands they consume: 61% of them said they connected with brands on social media. [42] Compared to this, 53% of Millennials said they connected with brands on social media, while only 36% of Gen Xers and 18% of Baby Boomers said they did the same. As a result, Gen Zs are more aware of the brand’s online presence, brand identity and relation to customers than most consumers that came before them.

Quality, affordability & customer service are most important to Gen Zs

 

Gen Zs value quality of product or service more than any other criteria when evaluating brands. [43]

Gen Z & sustainable products

When ranking factors that influence their purchase decision, 75% of Gen Zs agreed that sustainability was more important than the brand name. Similarly, 71% of Gen Zs expressed a willingness to pay more for a sustainable product [44], and 58% of them would pay more for a familiar brand. [45]

Gen Zs expect future tools for customization & comfort while shopping

Most Gen Zs would like to see innovations in terms of tools that could make their shopping experience more comfortable and streamlined. [46]

Expert Insights on Gen Z

Sources & Methodology

[1] Census: 2022 U.S. Census Bureau, National Population by Characteristics
[2] Census: 2022 U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year Estimates - Table ID - DP05
[3] RentCafe: "1 in 5 Millennials & Two-Thirds of Gen Z Struggle to Leave the Nest"
[4] Census: 2022 U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year Estimates - Table ID - B25007 
We looked at the number of 15- to 24-year-olds who are renters or owners to calculate: 
- the share of renters and the share of owners form the total Gen Z households
- the share of Gen Z renters and owners from the total number of renter-occupied and owner-occupied householders in U.S.
[5] RentCafe: "16.7 Million Americans Are Renting Alone"
[6] Census: Household Pulse Survey, Week 47-51, 2022
We calculated the average percentage for each amount based on data from weeks 47-51, 2022, for 18- to 24-year-old renters.  
[7] Data was based on a survey among 6,898 respondents in the U.S. that ran between September 13 and October 17, 2022, on www.rentcafe.com. The numbers presented here reflect the Gen Z population (350 respondents).
[8] We looked at the 100 largest U.S. cities by population and determined:
- the share of Gen Z population (10- to 24-year-olds). Source: 2022 U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year Estimates - Table ID – DP05 
- the share of Gen Z (15- to 24-year-olds) renters and owners from the total renter- and owner-occupied households. Source: 2022 U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year Estimates - Table ID - B25007
[9] Pearson: “Beyond Millennials: The Next Generation of Learners, Global Research & Insights, August 2018” 
[10] National Center for Education Statistics: 
- Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college for the years 2020, 2005 and 1989. (Table 302.60).
- Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds with Postsecondary Degree for the years 2021, 2005 and 1989 (Table 104.30).
- Percentage of 16- to 24-year-old high school dropouts for the years 2020, 2005 and 1989 (Table 219.70).
[11] NSHSS 2022 Career Interest Survey
[12] LinkedIn: “Generation Z: Understand and Speak to the Next Generation of Consumers,” 2021
[13] NSHSS 2022 Career Interest Survey
[14] LinkedIn: “Generation Z: Understand and Speak to the Next Generation of Consumers,” 2021
[15] LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index, 2021
[16] NSHSS 2022 Career Interest Survey
[17] BLS: The percentages were calculated based on employment data by industry as found in the Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey (2022)
[18] Talent LMS: Gen Z in The Workplace, Survey by Talent LMS and BambooHR, 2022
[19] BLS: Percentage calculated for 16- to 24-year-olds, based on data from BLS’ Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 2022
[20] Bank of America: Better Money Habits Survey, 2022
[21] BLS: Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, third quarter 2023 averages, for 16- to 24-year-olds.
[22] Investopedia: 2022 Investopedia Financial Literacy Survey
[23] Investopedia: 2022 Investopedia Financial Literacy Survey
[24] Investopedia: 2022 Investopedia Financial Literacy Survey
[25] IPUMS: Steven Ruggles, Sarah Flood, Matthew Sobek, Daniel Backman, Annie Chen, Grace Cooper, Stephanie Richards, Renae Rogers, and Megan Schouweiler. IPUMS USA: Version 14.0 [all_atus]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2023. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V14.0 
[26] IPUMS
[27] IPUMS
[28] IPUMS
[29] IPUMS
[30] YPulse 
[31] Bradley University
[32] Survey Monkey: Momentive study 2021
[33] Statista: Number of Generation Z users in the United States on selected social media platforms from 2020 to 2025
[34] NRF & IBM Institute for Business Value survey, 2017
[35] Deloitte: Digital media trends survey, 15th edition, 2021
[36] NRF & IBM Institute for Business Value survey, 2017
[37] NRF & IBM Institute for Business Value survey, 2018
[38] Survey Monkey: Momentive study 2021
[39] NRF & IBM Institute for Business Value survey, 2018
[40] Survey Monkey: Momentive study 2021
[41] RentCafe
[42] Survey Monkey: Momentive study 2021
[43] Survey Monkey: Momentive study 2021
[44] First Insight and the Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, The State of Consumer Spending, November 2021 
[45] LinkedIn 
[46] NRF & IBM Institute for Business Value survey, 2018