TY - JOUR
T1 - Intercounty Variability of Net Migration at Older Ages as a Path-Dependent Process
AU - Brown, David L.
AU - Bolender, Benjamin C.
AU - Kulcsar, Laszlo J.
AU - Glasgow, Nina
AU - Sanders, Scott
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - This article seeks to identify factors associated with the formation and development of nonmetropolitan destinations for older in-migration, thereby explaining why some U.S. counties are more likely than others to be nonmetro retirement destinations. We contend that most nonmetro retirement destinations are established and developed over time through a path-dependent process. When amenities are commodified as recreation and tourism, migration streams tend to be established that ultimately produce sustained in-migration of older persons to selected destination communities. We use data from a variety of official sources and a spatial statistics methodology to examine intercounty variability in net migration rates at ages 60-74. Our findings are consistent with the aforementioned path-dependent development framework. Counties with a long history of population growth, previous experience attracting older in-migrants, attractive natural amenities, and a developed recreation and tourism industry are those most likely to be retirement-age migration destinations. In contrast, agricultural heartland and relatively large population size are associated with lower rates of older in-migration. Older in-migration should be seen as neither a panacea for strapped rural communities nor a "pensions and care issue." Older migrants can be "gray gold," but they can also pose challenges, such as possibly increased demand for public services as they age in place.
AB - This article seeks to identify factors associated with the formation and development of nonmetropolitan destinations for older in-migration, thereby explaining why some U.S. counties are more likely than others to be nonmetro retirement destinations. We contend that most nonmetro retirement destinations are established and developed over time through a path-dependent process. When amenities are commodified as recreation and tourism, migration streams tend to be established that ultimately produce sustained in-migration of older persons to selected destination communities. We use data from a variety of official sources and a spatial statistics methodology to examine intercounty variability in net migration rates at ages 60-74. Our findings are consistent with the aforementioned path-dependent development framework. Counties with a long history of population growth, previous experience attracting older in-migrants, attractive natural amenities, and a developed recreation and tourism industry are those most likely to be retirement-age migration destinations. In contrast, agricultural heartland and relatively large population size are associated with lower rates of older in-migration. Older in-migration should be seen as neither a panacea for strapped rural communities nor a "pensions and care issue." Older migrants can be "gray gold," but they can also pose challenges, such as possibly increased demand for public services as they age in place.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.2010.00034.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.2010.00034.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79952297118
SN - 0036-0112
VL - 76
SP - 44
EP - 73
JO - Rural Sociology
JF - Rural Sociology
IS - 1
ER -