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Post-1980 regional migration patterns of the U.S. elderly population.
1Department of Geography, University of Florida.
Journal of Gerontology
|July 1, 1990
Summary
Elderly population mobility declined overall, but interstate and interregional moves increased until 1980. Recent trends show fewer older adults migrating from the Northeast and Midwest, impacting Southern net migration gains.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology
- Demography
Background:
- Investigating shifts in U.S. elderly residential relocation behaviors over three decades.
- Analyzing changes in mobility rates, migration streams, and net migration patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine trends in elderly migration from 1955 to 1985.
- To understand the changing patterns of residential relocation among older Americans.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from U.S. Decennial Censuses (1960, 1970, 1980) and the 1985 Current Population Survey.
- Analyzed overall mobility, interstate, interregional, and intracounty moves.
- Examined interregional migration streams and regional net migration patterns.
Main Results:
- Overall mobility rates consistently declined across all regions and periods.
- Interstate and interregional migration rates increased through 1980.
- A decrease in elderly out-migration from the Midwest and Northeast occurred between 1980-1985, reducing net migration gains in the South.
Conclusions:
- Observed decline in elderly mobility suggests potential shifts in retirement migration patterns.
- Recent trends indicate a potential reversal in traditional migration flows towards the South.
- Future research should explore the drivers behind these evolving elderly migration dynamics.