Nonmetro migration drops in the west and among college graduates

摘要

The nonmetro population continued to increase from net migration but at a much lower rate than in previous years. After leading other regions in the first half of the 1990's, the nonmetro West experienced a substantial drop in net migration during 1996-99. Metro-to-nonmetro migration among college graduates also dropped substantially, though not to the level of the rural brain drain of earlier decades. Net migration rates were higher for low-wage workers despite lower rates of in- and outmigrationcombined. During the 2-year period ending March 1999, 3.9 million people moved to nonmetro areas from metro locations, while 3.3 million moved out. The average annual gain of 281,000 people per year reflects continuing strength in the rural economy and in people's preferences for small-town living. The gain, however, is significantly lower than the 415,000 annual gain reported last year (RCaT, Vol. 9, No. 2) for the 2-year period ending March 1997. Annual population growth from net migration, includingimmigration from abroad, increased steadily during the early and mid-1990's, but dropped to half of 1 percent during 1997-99, according to the latest data from the Current Population Survey (see box, "About the Data").