Demographic variation in housing cost adjustments with US family migration

Abstract

AbstractThis paper examines the demographic variation in housing‐cost adjustment associated with family migration in the United States. The American population continues to migrate away from very large metropolitan areas down the urban hierarchy towards smaller metropolitan and micropolitan areas, an exodus that is frequently attributed to the push effects of diseconomies and congestion, increasing presence of foreign‐born population, and housing affordability problems, particularly in the large gateway cities. Yet, there is no empirical study of the housing‐cost adjustments associated with migration. This study addresses this gap by empirically assessing whether migration is associated with housing affordability adjustments, whether migrating families increase or decrease their housing costs, whether demographic variations occur in these adjustments, and whether there are significant differences in the geographies of housing‐cost adjustments among migrant families. These questions are addressed using the Census 2000 county‐to‐county migration flows merged with Census measures, and the 2000 Public Use Micro‐Sample 5% National file. The results indicate significant changes in housing costs associated with migration, and interstate migration in particular. On average, the direction of migration is to more affordable places. Families migrating from the traditional gateway cities with a relatively high percentage of foreign‐born populations are the most likely to make enormous shifts in affordability. However, these moves do not correspond neatly with regional white‐flight theory. Hispanics are far more likely to decrease housing costs with migration, as are non‐citizens and naturalised citizens. This research makes an important contribution to debates within the family migration literature, including conjectures of regional white flight and gendered theories of migration. Family migration towards greater housing affordability appears strategic and embedded in larger issues of family work–life balance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.