Are Americans Stuck in Place? Changing Patterns of Residential Mobility and Migration

From the 1940s to the 1980s, about 1 in 5 Americans moved every year. Today, only about 1 in 10 Americans move each year. Moreover, while the largest declines in mobility have been among young adults, this has been the case since the 1980s, which means the recent decline has been a multi-generational shift. In addition, contrary to conventional views, renter mobility has declined precipitously in the past decade, while homeowner mobility rates have trended upward. 

In this talk, Joint Center research assistant Riordan Frost will discuss a forthcoming working paper that will examine these and other changes. As he will discuss, the data suggest that people generally move either because of changes in employment or because they desire a different type of housing unit.  However, he will note, the reasons for the overwhelming drop in mobility are much less clear.

Bring your lunch, dessert provided

This event is part of our Housing Research Seminar Series, which are held on Fridays at lunchtime, during the academic year, and are livestreamed on Twitter. Watch the video.