US Census Press Releases

Releases = =AB=20 Mobility=20 of the Population

=BB Return to = Main Releases=20 Page

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4, = 2008

Tom = Edwards=20
Public Information Office=20
301-763-3030/763-3762 (phone/fax)=20
e-mail: <pio@census.gov>=20

CB08-136=20
Broadcast=20 release [PDF]=20
Detail= ed=20 tables

Most=20 Movers Stay in the Same County

Between 2006 and 2007, 38.7 million = people=20 moved in the United States: 25.2 million stayed in the same county, 7.4 = million=20 moved to a different county within the same state, 4.9 million moved to = a=20 different state and 1.2 million moved to the U.S. from abroad.

These statistics are from Ge= ographical=20 Mobility: 2007, a series of tables that describe the movement = of people=20 in the United States. The tables include data on why people moved, types = of=20 moves, distance moved and the characteristics of those who moved in = 2007.

The Northeast had the lowest moving = rate (9=20 percent), followed by the Midwest (13 percent), the South (14 percent) = and the=20 West (15 percent). The moving rates for the South and the West were not=20 significantly different.

Housing-related issues =96 such as the = desire to=20 own a home or to live in a better neighborhood =96 were the most common = reasons=20 given for moving (42 percent), followed by family-related issues (30 = percent),=20 employment reasons (21 percent) and other (7 percent). For those moving = to the=20 U.S. from abroad, more people listed employment as their reason (52 = percent)=20 than any other.

Of the 12.3 million people who moved to = another=20 county, the largest group moved less than 50 miles (42 percent); 22 = percent=20 moved more than 500 miles.

The black population had the highest = moving=20 rate (17 percent) among race and ethnic groups, followed by Hispanics = (16=20 percent), Asians (15 percent) and non-Hispanic whites (12 percent).

Other findings included:

Among movers in metropolitan areas, principal = cities=20 experienced a net loss of 1.9 million people in 2007. In contrast, the = suburbs=20 had a net gain of 2 million people.=20
About 1.2 million people moved to the United States = from=20 abroad. Of that group, 93 percent moved to metropolitan areas. About = 52=20 percent moved to principal cities, while 42 percent moved to the = suburbs.=20
People who were ages 20 to 24 and 25 to 29 had the = highest=20 moving rates (27 percent and 26 percent) in 2007. The majority in both = age=20 groups moved within the same county (66 percent and 63 percent). = Neither of=20 the comparisons within these age groups was statistically different = from the=20 other.=20
Of those who moved within the same county (ages 20 = to 24 and=20 25 to 29), the main reason for moving was housing related (45 percent = and 52=20 percent).=20
People who were separated and people who were = married with=20 their spouse absent were the most likely to move, while those who were = widowed=20 were the least likely to move. People who were never married were more = than=20 twice as likely to move as people who were married with their spouse = present.=20
Nearly one-third (29 percent) of renters changed = residences=20 between 2006 and 2007, compared with about one in 15 who lived in=20 owner-occupied housing (7 percent).=20
For the population 16 and over, those who were = unemployed (23=20 percent) were more likely to move than those who were employed (14 = percent) or=20 those not in the labor force (10 percent).

-X-

The data are from the 2007 Current Population Survey=92s = Annual Social=20 and Economic Supplement, which is conducted in February, March and April = at=20 about 100,000 addresses nationwide. Statistics from surveys are subject = to=20 sampling and nonsampling error. For more information on the source of = the data=20 and accuracy of the estimates, including standard errors and confidence=20 intervals, see Appendix G at <http://www.c= ensus.gov/apsd/techdoc/cps/cpsmar07.pdf>=20 [PDF].

Releases = =AB=20 Mobility=20 of the Population

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETHURSDAY, SEPT. 4, = 2008

Most=20 Movers Stay in the Same County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 4, = 2008