Jeanne C. Biggar

Who Moved among the Elderly, 1965 to 1970 A Comparison of Types of Older Movers

This article examines the applicability of general migration selectivity principles for elderly movers. Demographic, socioeconomic, and housing characteristics of a 5% sample of elderly (60 years and older) drawn from the 1970 1 in 100 Public Use Sample are compared across distance mover types. Elderly migrants were selected from higher educational and income ranks, but local movers were selected from the more economically dependent strata. Implications of these findings for demographic theory and public policy for elderly programs are drawn.

Reassessing Elderly Sunbelt Migration

Following the trend of general migration, 1965-1970, more than half of elderly interstate migrants moved to 15 Sunbelt states located on the eastern, southern, and western rim of the United States. While the Snowbelt sent the majority of these migrants to the Sunbelt, there was a smaller flow of migrants back to the Snowbelt. In general, the elderly interstate migrants, whether they moved to the Sunbelt or the Snowbelt, were more independent economically than the elderly residents at the destination. However, Sunbelt inmigrants outranked Snowbelt inmigrants on socioeconomic levels. Overall, then, in this population redistribution, the Sunbelt appears to benefit from added elderly consumers who will place little demand on social services, at least in the short run.

Elderly interstate migration: impact on sending and receiving states 1965 to 1970.

This article analyzes the characteristics of individuals age 60 and over who were interstate migrants between 1965 and 1970. It specifically examines the impact of elderly migration on seven major sending and seven major receiving states. When the outmigrant total was compared with the elderly residents left behind in the major origin states, a negative impact was apparent because of the positive selectivity of migrants on age, marital status, and economic independence. Conversely, when the inmigrant total was compared with older in-place residents in destination states, a positive impact was discerned from the addition of younger, married, more economically independent newcomers. The primary exception to these patterns was California, where both elderly inmigrants and outmigrants, as compared with the residentially stable, tended to be more economically dependent. The conclusions suggest that migrant characteristics as well as changing numbers of the elderly should be considered in funding formulas for federal elderly support programs.

National elderly migration patterns and selectivity. 1955-1960, 1965-1970, and decade trends.

The study of trends in elderly migration patterns and selectivity found that local mobility rates declined, while migration rates increased between 1960 and 1970. The top ten destination states receiving interstate migrants were similar in both time periods, but there was a discernible swing to the Sunbelt except for California and Mississippi. Intrastate and interstate flows became more selective in terms of household independence measures over the period.