Why Aren't Americans Moving?

Four years after the Great Recession technically ended, the rate at which Americans are choosing to relocate continues to decline and is now at historic lows. What is causing this long-term trend?

1 minute read

November 19, 2013, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj

WestportWiki / Wikimedia Commons

"Last year, about 36 million people in the U.S. picked up and moved, either across town or across the country. That was about one in 10 Americans, or 11.7 percent." Though that may seem like a lot of people, "this mobility rate, based on data released by the Census Bureau today, is about as low as it's ever been, dating all the way back to the 1940s," notes Emily Badger.

She suggests some probable reasons for the 60-year decline in American mobility and recent historic lows: the long-term rise of homeownership, the recession, and the aging of the country's population.

FULL STORY: The Rise of Staying Put

Monday, November 18, 2013 in The Atlantic Cities

Social / Demographics United States Mobility Census Data Relocation

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