Two Maps That Show How American Migration Patterns Have Dramatically Changed
A group at The University Of Wisconsin has compiled Census migration data from the 1950s to the 2000s into a bunch of highly informative maps.
Two maps stuck out to us showing that, compared with the 1950s, Americans at their prime earnings age have stopped moving around.
That's probably a bad sign for the economy, because it means no single area of the country is demonstrating clear labor demand, so there's no release valve if things start to go bad in your area.
30-54 year-olds, 2000s
As is mostly well known, people have in recent years been abandoning the Rust Belt and Plains States, mostly, but not overwhelmingly to the benefit of the coasts and urban areas in the South.
But there also seems to be a fair degree of zero movement at all, as denoted by the significant number of white and fainter-colored counties.
(Purple=county saw inflows; orange=county saw outflows; white=no change)
30-54 year-olds, 1950s
Compare that map with prime earnings age migration 1950s, when everyone is leaving the midsection of the country with clear destinations in mind: California, the Southwest, Florida and the suburbs.
(Purple=county saw inflows; orange=county saw outflows; white=no change)
