Debunking Myths About Domestic Migration

Year after year, some of the nation’s most dynamic cities are also the nation’s biggest losers when it comes to migrants. Yet rather than waste away, they continue to boom. This widely misunderstood paradox leads to some interesting articles every time the Census Bureau releases a new round of county population and migration estimates, as it did several weeks ago.

Outside of major urban centers, Juday acknowledges, "domestic migration numbers are generally a pretty good indicator of whether a county’s population is growing or shrinking." But with New York, Los Angeles, and Fairfax (VA) counties all on the list for leading domestic out-migration, defying the idea that domestic migration is a city-killer, what are we to make of this commonly quoted statistic?

There are two parts to that answer, both of which Juday examines in greater detail in the article. The first, according to Juday, is international immigration, and the second is natural increase and migration. The second point especially requires some nuance, which Juday describes clearly.