Out Migration is a Hampton Roads Challenge

“Net migration” is the difference between the number of people moving into an area and ones leaving. According to a UVA expert on the subject, Hampton Roads accounts for 25% of the negative net migration for all of Virginia. But some are supplanted by those who choose our region to live. 

Call Emily Larimore a “come here.” She grew up in Illinois, but since her military father was stationed in coastal Virginia, she was able to secure in state college tuition. “I picked ODU because it had the programs I wanted,” says Emily, “and I’m happy I did.” 

She cherished her four years in Norfolk, so much that the now 21-year-old searched nowhere else for work. “It was frustrating though because many employers asked for a lot of experience but weren’t offering the salaries that should come with it,” she recalls. Emily finally landed a job she loves, in marketing with the Hampton Roads Chamber. Her experience though was not unique. 

We heard other war stories during a gathering of young persons in the local workforce, coordinated by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, which is focused on the out-migration challenge. “The cost of living here is not as expensive as many larger communities, but it’s not cheap,” Abby Smith, who moved here from Annapolis, told her roundtable of fellow millennials and PDC members. “Affordable housing is hard to find, and there is not much public transportation so you must have a car.” 

Why is pay often not commensurate with job responsibilities or background? Blame it to some extent, on the military, says Greg Grootendorst, economist and HRPDC Deputy Executive Director. Their salaries and benefits drive pay levels, but he predicts supply and demand of talent at the end of the day should fix the problem. 

Otherwise, the guests, many of whom are integrating themselves into the community through groups like THRIVe, 757 Connect and the Chambers, enjoy what they label our “diversity,” from the people to the arts to the geography. “We enjoy having the mountains not far from the ocean,” said one. “We have a lot of colleges here, social events and the pace of life is just right,” said another. But they acknowledged that the water, our blessing and curse, creates transportation issues, and that despite efforts to achieve a unifying name or even theme, we are still brand challenged. In addition, several of the 20 and 30-year olds carped about a seeming lack of cooperation among the cities. 

What the PDC heard this day added to what a consultant learned doing a Go Virginia funded study on outmigration in Hampton Roads. 

• Young people without children are more likely to leave 
• Ones who grew up or went to college here are more prone to stay or return 
• Career opportunities (or lack of), cost of living and safety drive people away 
• The more involved you become in the community, the more likely you will remain 
• Entrepreneurial environment here is hampered by regional awareness, fragmented political geography, access to capital, cultural issues, and quality of life concerns 

Many of our challenges are shared by other regions, but that’s of little importance if you are an employer in search of quality candidates eager to plant roots here. The most obvious targets should be those who know Hampton Roads and just need financial incentives – like a well-paying job and an affordable cost of living– to come home.