Why do people move? Most social scientists agree that there are a combination of economic and noneconomic reasons for moving that vary depending on the time period and the age of the movers. Previous research shows that increases in age reduce the likelihood of moving (until retirement age) and that long-distance moves are most common among the highly educated. Generally, the distance of the move is related to whether the move is motivated by employment or housing reasons. Interregional moves are more likely to be job related, while intraurban moves are more likely to be housing related.

Table 1. 2000 Current Population Survey

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics (All Categories): March 1999-2000 [<1.0 MB]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics (Collapsed Categories): March 1999-2000 [<1.0 MB]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics and Type of Move (All Categories): March 1999-2000 [<1.0 MB]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics and Type of Move (Collapsed Categories): March 1999-2000 [<1.0 MB]

Table 5. 1999 Current Population Survey

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics (All Categories): March 1998-1999 [<1.0 MB]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics (Collapsed Categories): March 1998-1999 [<1.0 MB ]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics and Type of Move (All Categories): March 1998-1999 [<1.0 MB]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics and Type of Move (Collapsed Categories): March 1998-1999 [<1.0 MB]

Table 9. 1998 Current Population Survey

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics (All Categories): March 1997-1998 [<1.0 MB ]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics (Collapsed Categories): March 1997-1998 [<1.0 MB ]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics and Type of Move (All Categories): March 1997-1998 [<1.0 MB ]

Reason for Move by Personal Characteristics and Type of Move (Collapsed Categories): March 1997-1998 [<1.0 MB]

Others in Series

PUBLICATION | SEPTEMBER 2003

Measures of Well-Being: Expenditures, Consumption, & Poverty 1998-2001

This report describes some possible next steps in the Census Bureau’s decades-long tradition of investigation into the measurement of poverty.

PUBLICATION | SEPTEMBER 2000

Poverty Among Working Families: Experimental Poverty Measures - 1998

This report shows that according to measures, people in full-time working families comprise a higher proportion of those in poverty than previously estimated.

PUBLICATION | DECEMBER 2001

Profile of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000

This report presents data on a wide range of geographic, demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics for the foreign-born population of the U.S.

Related Information

Migration/Geographic Mobility Publications