MIGRATION TO METROPOLITAN AND NONMETROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE SUNBELT, 1975 TO 1977
Abstract
Two demographic trends have received considerable attention in United States migration literature during the 1970's: migration to the Sunbelt and migration to nonmetropolitan areas. Previous research has documented both streams in terms of numbers and characteristics of the migrants, producing evidence of both the growth of the Sunbelt and a revival of population growth in nonmetropolitan America. The literature suggests that metropolitan to nonmetropolitan migration is a nationwide trend, occurring at the expense of metropolitan areas. This dissertation examines migration in the Sunbelt region of the United States between 1975 and 1977 to determine whether and to what extent it is part of the recent nonmetropolitan renaissance movement in America. While it is commonly believed that migration occurs at the expense of metropolitan areas, evidence from the Sunbelt suggests otherwise. The following hypothesis was posed: Regardless of the type of area of origin, migrants to and within the Sunbelt are more likely to relocate in metropolitan rather than in nonmetropolitan areas. Further questions dealt with the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of both migrants and nonmigrants residing in the Sunbelt and the effect of migration on receiving areas. Tapes from the Current Population Survey of March 1977 provided the data base for this study. A total of 57,283 Sunbelt residents were described in terms of their geographic, demographic, socioeconomic and migration status. The analysis demonstrated that most migration to the Sunbelt was not occurring at the expense of metropolitan areas. Regardless of the area of origin, the majority of migrants to the Sunbelt had indeed chosen metropolitan, especially suburban, destinations. Younger, less decentralized Sunbelt metropolitan areas were still experiencing growth at a time when older Northern metropolitan areas were characterized by movement beyond the suburbs. Moreover, most traditional migration generalizations held for this sample of migrants, with the exception that migration to the Sunbelt appeared to be dominated by married couples. Future research should focus on the stability of these migration trends in the 1980's.
Subject Area
Demographics
Recommended Citation
PAWLICZKO, ANN LENCYK, "MIGRATION TO METROPOLITAN AND NONMETROPOLITAN AREAS IN THE SUNBELT, 1975 TO 1977" (1985). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8521396.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8521396
