Attracting Gen-Y to Montgomery County, MD

According to an article in the Gazette, county planners are looking for ways to attract Generation-Y’ers. Amongst the suggestions to lure younger residents to Montgomery County is developing more walkable living/working/playing communities, where most amenities and jobs are within a 10-minutes walk from home or public transportation.

A nighttime economy task force was also implemented to research ideas and opportunities to develop a MoCo nightlife that is attractive to the 20- to 34-year-old age group. Younger crowds want to live in communities that have something to offer for in their downtime. They’re youthful, active and environmentally conscious, and area planners want to cater to them.

The Gazette mentions that community planners are concerned that the level of Gen-Y’ers in the population sits significantly below that of surrounding communities at just 19 percent. Younger populations prove to be quite essential for cultivating a thriving community, serving as “tax-base engines”, according to Gwen Wright, director of the Montgomery County Planning Board. According to Wright, 19- to 34-year-olds don’t use as much healthcare and schooling as the older subgroup, therefore costing fewer tax dollars.

Leaders in the community see MoCo as at a tipping point. Wright says, “It’s a tipping point in hopefully a very exciting direction.” For the first time, the county has reached majority-minority status, with more than half the residents being non-white.

Reasons for attracting a younger crowd go beyond just creating a young community. MoCo is suffering from signs of aging, including very slow growth rates. The article states, “Besides seeing its population age, Montgomery has witnessed a slowing in general. The number of residents increased 31 percent between 1980 and 1990, while the growth slowed to 15 percent between 1990 and 2000 and 11 percent from 2000 to 2010.”

Do you think city planners are making a good decision? Will a younger population lead to improved community planning and more growth for MoCo? Tell me what you think.

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