The United States Census Bureau recently released numbers showing that when most people move, they stay within their own county, and the overwhelming majority remains within their own state.
The Bureau found that between 2006 and 2007, 38.7 million people moved in the U.S. Of that number, 25.2 million stayed in the same county, and 7.4 million moved to a different county within the same state. Only 4.9 million moved to a different state, and 1.2 million moved from abroad to the U.S.
The Bureau said the Northeast had the lowest moving rate (9 percent), followed by the Midwest (13 percent), the South (14 percent) and the West (15 percent). Asked why they moved, 42 percent said they wanted to live in a better neighborhood; 30 percent said their move involved family concerns; 21 percent said employment; and 7 percent listed other factors.
Other findings include:
- Among movers in metropolitan areas, principal cities experienced a net loss of 1.9 million people in 2007. In contrast, the suburbs had a net gain of 2 million people.
- Of the 1.2 million people who moved to the U.S. from abroad, 93 percent went to metropolitan areas. About 52 percent moved to principal cities and 42 percent settled in the suburbs.
- People of ages 20 to 24 and 25 to 29 had the highest moving rates (27 percent and 26 percent, respectively) in 2007. The majority in both age groups moved within the same county (66 percent and 63 percent). Neither of the comparisons within these age groups was statistically different from the other.
- Of those who moved within the same county (ages 20 to 24 and 25 to 29), the main reason for moving was housing related (45 percent and 52 percent).
- People who were separated and folks who were married with their spouse absent were the most likely to move, while those who were widowed were the least likely to move. People who were never married were more than twice as likely to move as those who were married with their spouse present.
- Nearly one-third (29 percent) of renters changed residences between 2006 and 2007, compared with about one in 15 who lived in owner-occupied housing (7 percent).
- For the population age 16 and older, those who were unemployed (23 percent) were more likely to move than those who were employed (14 percent) or those not in the labor force (10 percent).
Thinking about moving? Homescape's Moving Guide is packed with detailed advice that will guide you through the entire process. And learn more about your new community on our Snapshot pages.
Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@homescape.com.
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