Population Mobility in the United States Martha B. Sharma APHG Test Development Committee NCGE, Kansas City October 22, 2004

II. Population C. Population movement 1. Push and pull factors 2. Major voluntary and involuntary migrations at different scales 3. Migration selectivity 4. Short-term, local movements, and activity space

Some Basic Vocabulary* Domestic migration: moves that cross jurisdictional boundaries Residential mobility: moves within the same jurisdiction Moving rate: percentage of people who changed residence in a 1-year period *U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Reports, March 2004.

U.S. Population Mobility Between 2002 and 2003, 40.1 million U.S. residents moved More than half of all moves were local (i.e., within the same county) Young adults had the highest moving rates (about one- third of year olds in 2003) Older adults had the highest interstate moving rates (28% of all 55 and older movers crossed state lines in 2003) Hispanics and African American had the highest overall moving rates (18% in 2003) Factors most influencing moving rates were age and home ownership Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Reports, March 2004.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

U.S. Change in Residence, Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 [online]

United States: Changing Residence National Mean

United States: Changing Residence “Different House, Same City or Town”

National Mean United States: Changing Residence “Different House, Different City or Town, Same County”

National Mean United States: Changing Residence “Different House, Different City or Town, Different County, Same State”

National Mean United States: Changing Residence “Different House, Different City or Town, Different County, Different State”

Region to Region Movement, March 1999 to 2000 Movers to the South Moved from Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 [online]

Region to Region Movement, March 1999 to 2000 Movers to the Midwest Moved from Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 [online]

Region to Region Movement, March 1999 to 2000 Movers to the Northeast Moved from Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 [online]

Movers to the West Region to Region Movement, March 1999 to 2000 Moved from Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 [online]

Beware the fallacy of absolute truth. What is true at one scale may not be true at a different scale.

United States: Changing Residence National Mean

South Carolina: Changing Residence

National Mean United States: Changing Residence “Different House, Different City or Town, Different County, Different State”

Movers to South Carolina Moved from a Different State Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3 [online]

1. On the Census Bureau Home Page, locate American FactFinder

2. Select Data Sets

3. Select Summary File 3 and Detailed Tables

4. Select the Geographic Scale you want to examine.

5. Then select one or more Geographic Areas for which you want data and click “Add,” then “Next.”

6. Scroll through the list of tables to locate Table PCT 21; click “Add.” Add additional tables if desired, then click “Show Results.”

7. The data is presented as a table that can be printed or downloaded as an Excel file.

Questions to Guide Analysis How does your state compare to the rest of the country in term of mobility rates? Is it above or below the national mean? What factors may account for your state’s mobility status? Describe patterns of mobility within your state. Which counties have experienced above average mobility? Which fall below average? How do you account for these patterns? Examine patterns of mobility within your county or city. Visit areas of unusually high or low mobility. Observe characteristics that may influence mobility.

Questions (continued) How might patterns of mobility affect political and economic trends in your state, county, or community? Did your parents grow up in your community or are they a part of the mobility pattern? If your parents are “local,” how has your state, county, or community changed since they were in high school? Which changes are a product of mobility trends?

Activity Space: Mobility at the Local Scale Population Mobility in the United States, Part 2

Movement at the individual scale is affected by three factors: Accessibility, i.e., “where you are” Opportunities Distance Mobility, i.e., “who you are” Age Income Availability of car or public transportation Mental maps, i.e., “what you know” Perception of what is where Perception of danger

Evaluating Personal Activity Space Have students keep a diary of their movements for 24 hours on a school day and on a weekend day. [chart provided] Using a piece of quarter-inch graphing paper, have students chart their movements for each day. What factors limit their movement? How is their activity space different on a weekend day compared to a school day?

Have students interview people in different age groups (e.g., a 7-year old, a college student, a parent, an elderly relative) concerning their movements over a 24 –hour period. Have them repeat the graphing activity. How does age affect mobility? What factors limit or enable the mobility of persons in different age groups? Evaluating Activity Space - Extension

Activity Space Resources Fellmann, Getis, and Getis. Human Geography, 8 th edition. McGraw-Hill, pp Kuby, et al. Human Geography in Action, 1 st edition. John Wiley, chapter 5. Web resource: /spring2001/dettloff/time/prism_map.html