Geographical Mobility z KRISTIN A. HANSEN About 1 in 6 Americans not seem large enough to be reflects changes in the rate move each year. very important, over time they of local moving, while there Over 42 million Americans add up to an important decline is little change in the rates moved in the 1-year period in annual moving rates. The of longer distance moving. between March 1992 and annual rate of moving has March 1993. This amounted gradually declined from a The average American to 16.8 percent of the popula- high of 20.2 percent in the moves 11.7 times in a tion 1 year old and over. Most 1-year period between March lifetime. of these persons made local 1984 and March 1985 and is moves — 26 million moved now similar to the rates found The “average American” from one residence to another most years during the early makes 11.7 moves in a life- within the same county. Near- 1980’s. time (based upon current age ly 8 million persons moved be- structure and average rates of tween counties within the Most movers stay in moving by age between 1990 same State and another near- the same county. and 1993). By age 4, an ly 7 million changed States. About two-thirds of the movers American can expect to have During that 1-year period, between March 1992 and 10.8 moves remaining. At age 1.3 million persons moved March 1993 (10.5 percent of 19, 9.2 moves can still be ex- into the United States from the total population 1 year old abroad. pected. But by age 44, only and over) moved locally (with- 3.1 moves remain. The actual The rate of moving declined in the same county). Longer mobility experience of individu- slightly between 1992 and distance movers were some- al persons, of course, will vary 1993 and the previous what more likely to move be- from these average numbers. 1-year period (16.8 percent, tween counties in the same compared with 17.3 percent, State (3.1 percent) than to In addition, since these moves respectively). While the small move between States (2.7 are not evenly distributed declines in the moving rates percent). Most of the fluctua- throughout that average from one year to the next do tion in the annual moving rate American’s life, we cannot Annual Rates of Moving, by Type of Move: 1981 to 1993 (In percent) 25 20 Total movers 15 Same county 10 5 Different county 0 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 14 z z calculate an average length of moving rates for persons at the lowest rate of moving moved in the previous year stay in a particular residence. the oldest ages; persons 85 within the same county (32.9 percent). In contrast, years old and over had a (9.8 percent), Hispanics fewer than 1 in 10 persons had the highest (17.0 percent), in owner-occupied housing The highest mobility rates moving rate of 6.1 percent. and the rate for Blacks fell in units had moved in the same are found for young adults Whites have lower rates of between the other two groups period (9.1 percent). Renters in their twenties. have vastly higher rates of moving than either Blacks (13.8 percent). Over one-third of persons 20 moving than owners for all or persons of Hispanic to 24 years old (35.8 percent) Renters have much types of moves. origin. moved between 1992 and higher rates of moving 1993. This rate is twice the Whites have lower overall than homeowners. For Further Information annual rate found for all per- rates of moving (16.2 percent) Tenure (whether the person is See: Current Population sons 1 year old and over than either Blacks (19.0 per- living in a housing unit occu- Reports, Series P20-481, (16.8 percent). Persons 25 to cent) or persons of Hispanic pied by owners or renters) has Geographical Mobility: 29 years old have nearly as origin (23.6 percent).1 The a very strong correlation with March 1992 to March 1993. high a rate of moving as per- same pattern is shown for mobility rates. Tenure is own- Contact: Kristin A. Hansen sons in their early twenties; local movers; Whites had er/renter status at the time of Journey-to-Work 30.9 percent moved in the the survey in March 1993; ten- 1Persons of Hispanic origin may be and Migration previous year. Moving rates ure before the move is not continue to decline as age of any race. These data do not in- Statistics Branch clude the population of Puerto known. 301-457-2454 increases to an apparent low Rico. In the Current Population of 5.3 percent for persons Survey, most Hispanics report their About one-third of persons 75 to 84 years old. There ap- race as White; therefore, the rates living in renter-occupied hous- for all Whites includes the moving pears to be a slight upturn in rates of most Hispanics. ing units in March 1993 had Moving Rates, by Age: 1992 to 1993 (In percent) Age 85 years and over 6.1 75 to 84 years 5.3 65 to 74 years 5.8 45 to 64 years 9.4 30 to 44 years 17.5 25 to 29 years 30.9 20 to 24 years 35.8 15 to 19 years 17.5 10 to 14 years 13.9 5 to 9 years 17.1 1 to 4 years 22.6 15 z.