Baby Chasers' Are Changing Florida's Retirement Demographic

A study from Meyers Research estimated that 25 percent of baby boomers are "baby chasers," devoted to living close to their grandchildren and being a part of their lives, reports the Tampa Bay Business Journal . Tampa, Fla., is the 14th most popular market for this group, and one of three Florida metros among the top 20 destinations for this demographic. Meyers Research's Ali Wolf says growth in high-income jobs is a common factor in such regions, and five of the top 14 cities for baby chasers have had the most high-income job growth over the past five years. He notes for millennials in such destinations, the combination of growth and affordability "allows you to still live the American dream in these different markets, but also not feel like you're compromising on where your career is headed." Boomers as a demographic consider it critical be both geographically and relationally close to their grandchildren. "There's been a shift back to, 'We want to have that human interaction, and we want our family to be an important part of our lives,'" Wolf says. "I think the digital age is actually pushing us more toward that."