Quality-of-life considerations begin to replace child-rearing and employment-related factors in decisions about when and where to move. Many “empty nest” couples begin seeking leisure and recreational opportunities, lower housing costs, and a slower pace of life. Married couples with children place a higher premium on residential space, better schools, feelings of personal safety, and other qualities associated with suburban settings.Īs they age toward retirement, Americans are much less prone to move than in their youth, but those that do are much more likely to move to the countryside. Individuals and families settle down as career decisions become more firm. Migration rates decrease steadily and shift geographically through a person’s working-age years. Urban destinations dominate among young singles seeking jobs, social opportunities, and creative cultural environments. Most migration occurs when people are in their twenties, as they finish college, make initial career decisions, serve in the military, form families, or simply act out of a sense of restlessness. Migration rates for children (who mostly accompany parental moves) decline to very low levels during high school, and then rise precipitously. Migration Patterns Change With AgeĮach individual or family makes unique migration decisions, but commonalities exist at different life stages that affect the number of people moving and their destination choices. Boomers are now poised to significantly increase rural and small-town elderly populations by 2020, with major social and economic implications for their chosen destinations. By comparison, 42 million were age 45 to 63 in 1990. There has never been such a large share of the workforce approaching retirement. Today’s 83 million boomers, ranging from age 45 to 63, represent a fourth of the total U.S. They led a short-lived rural “rebound” in the early 1990s despite being at an age when career-oriented motivations strongly influence migration decisions. “Boomers” have already demonstrated an affinity for moving to rural and small-town destinations, compared with older or younger cohorts. Baby boomers-born between 19-are entering a stage when moves to rural locales increase, especially to areas with scenic amenities and lower housing costs. Local economic development strategies aimed at attracting more jobs will likely have little effect on the migration decisions of baby boomers searching for a better quality of life.Īs Americans age, their likelihood of migrating, their reasons for moving, and their destination choices shift dramatically. If baby boomers follow migration patterns similar to those of their predecessors, the rural population age 55-75 will increase by 30 percent between 20. The size and direction of migration patterns vary considerably by age, and baby boomers are increasingly migrating to rural destinations.
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