A stark generational divide is unfolding across England's picturesque coastline, as young adults are being pushed out of their hometowns by a crippling lack of opportunity, unaffordable housing, and dwindling social scenes. In a powerful series of testimonies gathered by the Guardian's Against the Tide project, those aged 18 to 30 from the Isle of Wight to Northumberland describe the painful choice between staying in the communities they love and building a viable future.
The Isle of Wight: An Island of Retirees and Missing Youth
For Megan, 24, from the Isle of Wight, goodbyes have become a familiar ritual. After choosing not to go to university, she watched her friends depart for mainland studies, with many never returning. While she secured an apprenticeship and now works for an arts organisation, she calls herself an "anomaly".
"Some of my friends here work in very seasonal, part-time employment, centred around hospitality and tourism," Megan explains. "They work loads over the summer, but then over the winter they're on fewer hours and a very low income and are still living at home."
The housing market offers little relief, with a severe shortage of rental properties as many homes become second homes or Airbnbs. Landlords often prioritise families or professionals, shutting out young locals. Socially, the island caters to an older demographic. The number of people aged 65 to 74 on the island rose by 26.7% between 2011 and 2021, and the average age is 51, compared to 40 for England overall.
Megan finds it frustrating that the prevailing narrative tells young people to escape. "Adults saying you have to leave the island to succeed and if you don't leave that you're 'settling' is unhelpful," she says. "Then they complain there are no young people here."
From Berwick to Ilfracombe: The Push and Pull of Coastal Life
This tension between love for home and necessity to leave is echoed nationwide. In Berwick-upon-Tweed, 23-year-old Colette and her friends are caught between the urge to flee an ageing population and empty high street, and the pull of the town's community, independent businesses, and natural beauty.
"Most young people don't want to leave because they hate the town," Colette stresses. "Everyone I know absolutely loves Berwick. They leave because they don't have opportunities or their friends have already left." After her degree, she returned but could only find work in a clothes shop. This has now prompted her to study for a master's degree, likely as a route away.
Further south, in Ilfracombe, North Devon, 23-year-old Tom feels his ability to stay is propped up by parental support. He loves the outdoor lifestyle but cites a "distinct lack of job opportunities" and high housing costs. Central Ilfracombe is the most deprived neighbourhood in Devon. Tom feels "very lucky" to have a steady local authority job, but knows many are trapped in low-paid seasonal work, living hand to mouth.
"In terms of big career prospects, it's pretty dire," he states. "That's a big problem in these areas, unless you can move away, build a career and then maybe come back."
Conservatism and a Crisis of Confidence
For some, the reasons for leaving are cultural as well as economic. Jacob, 28, from Gorleston-on-Sea in Great Yarmouth, felt a profound disconnect growing up as a gay man in a conservative town. "I spent a long time when I was younger with an angry mind space because leaving felt more like 'getting out'," he recalls.
He observes a crisis of confidence and inertia among local youth. "When you ask young people what they want to do when they grow up, they don't know because they don't have a frame of reference... It's a confidence thing and a sense of inertia that comes with the depression of the place." He has since moved to London to pursue a career as an artist.
This sentiment is shared by parents too. Marty, a teacher in Eastbourne with two young adult children, has been direct in her advice: "I told my kids you've got to go to university, you've got to get out." Despite 25 years of promises about better transport links and regeneration, she sees little change. "I'm glad I brought my kids up here, but I worry about what is there for them as they grow into adulthood," she admits.
The collective testimony paints a troubling picture of England's coastlines becoming retirement havens and holiday hotspots, while a generation of young natives is squeezed out. Without urgent action on housing, year-round skilled employment, and investment in youth culture, the tide of young people leaving may become irreversible.
