Geographic mobility is a frequent aspect of American life. Each year millions of people in the United States move to a new home. The most frequently asked questions about this mobility concern (1) the time of the year when moves occur (the seasonality of moves), (2) the length of time that people stay in one place (the duration of residence), and (3) homeownership status (the tenure of residence).

The data in this report come from the second interview of the 2004 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) panel, conducted between June and September 2004.¹ This report continues an analysis of the seasonality of moves and duration of residence first reported using data from the 1993 panel of the SIPP.² The 2004 panel included a question that asked the respondent to report the housing tenure (owner or renter status) of his or her current and previous residences.³ New information presented in this report shows transitions in tenure, such as a shift from previously living in a renter-occupied unit to currently living in an owner-occupied unit. Other new information shows the characteristics of people who have never moved in their lifetimes.

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¹ The population represented (population universe) is the civilian, noninstitutionalized, adult population (15 years and older) living in the United States.

² See P70-66, Seasonality of Moves and Duration of Residence, issued in October 1998. Note that in that report, moves into both current and previous residences were used to analyze when the moves occurred, while in this report, time of move is limited to the month each person moved into his or her current residence.

³ The inclusion of this question was documented in Population Division Working Paper No. 69, Seasonality of Moves and the Duration and Tenure of Residence: 1996 (November 2002), which includes additional analysis of seasonality of moves, duration in residence, and patterns of settlement. This working paper is available at <www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0069/twps0069.html>.