The Current Population Shift among Elderly Migrants: A Comparative Analysis of Influencing Factors

An elderly migration shift away from urban areas and toward rural areas and small towns has been noted recently. In addition to documenting general migration trends, this article focuses on the characteristics of elderly migrants who have moved in either the urban or rural direction. Data from a longitudinal nationwide survey conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan are used for this study. A general trend toward ruralward migration was found, with these migrants having a higher educational level, higher total family income, higher working status for those still in the job market, and fewer hours currently worked per week when compared to urbanward migrants. It appears that households with more choices were selecting homes in rural areas as opposed to urban sites.