Migration within the United States: Education and Skills for Pursuing the American Dream

• In Event: 433 - Regular Session. Internal Migration

Abstract

The U.S. internal migration rate is among the highest in the advanced world and the freedom to move is central to the American Dream. The decision to migrate has long been linked to personality characteristics like determination, hard work, and entrepreneurialism. Yet, spatial inequality is on the rise, with areas of greater economic opportunities—those with a concentration of educated workers, or innovation areas—growing faster. This study uses the High School and Beyond 1980 sophomore cohort and its 2014 midlife follow-up to investigate how cognitive and non-cognitive skills, and education predict who moves during adulthood and who lives in an innovation area at midlife. Findings indicate that cognitive and non-cognitive skills, advanced mathematics high school coursework, and bachelor’s degree attainment predict who moves by midlife. In contrast, only non-cognitive skills predict who moves longer distances. Earning a college degree and better cognitive skills predict who resides in an innovation area at midlife. Implications for stratification and growing inequality are discussed.

Authors

• Chandra Muller, University of Texas

• Evangeleen Pattison, The University of Texas at Austin

• Robert Reynolds, University of Texas-Austin

• Eric Grodsky, University of Wisconsin