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Baby boomers are helping drive Charlotte's growth. Here's why

Real estate data shows Charlotte is one of the top cities for baby boomer parents who follow their children due to the warmer climate and affordable living.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the Charlotte region continues to be a popular destination for young people to move to for work, another generation is following them down South: baby boomers.

Zonda, a housing market research firm, has created a "baby chaser index," which tracks baby boomers who "chase," or follow their children and grandchildren to warmer climates.

Susan Heffron, a senior manager at Zonda, said over the last three years, Charlotte consistently ranked in the top 5 of U.S. cities where parents are following their children and future grandchildren. 

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Zonda found York County, South Carolina, and Union County, North Carolina, welcomed the most "baby chasers."

In the Charlotte region, Zonda found the top three places "baby chasers" are coming from are New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles and Orange County, California.

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"It's warmer here than in some of the areas that we're seeing, the New Yorks, the Chicagos, and much more affordable than the LAs and the Orange Counties," Heffron said.

Jo Rasmus and her husband moved from Greer, South Carolina, to an active adult community along Mountain Island Lake because their daughter moved to Charlotte to be a teacher.

"When you only have one child when you retire, it makes it pretty easy especially when Charlotte's as nice of a place as it is," Rasmus said. "It's got the good medical care. It's got a beautiful climate."

According to Zonda, the number of people in the Charlotte region who are aged 65 and older is expected to grow by 25% in the next five years.

Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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