P20-567

Issued December 2012

Population Characteristics

Geographical Mobility: 2005 to 2010

David K. Ihrke and Carol S. Faber

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

census.gov

INTRODUCTION

Geographical mobility data are used 

to determine the extent of mobility 

of the U.S. population and resulting redistribution. Migration data 

are collected as part of the Annual 

Social and Economic Supplement 

(ASEC) to the Current Population 

Survey (CPS).1 How populations 

change has implications for federal, state, and local governments, 

as well as for private industry. 

Researchers can identify characteristics of movers from these data 

and track the mobility of the 

U.S. population over time. 

This report examines data based 

on the 5-year migration question 

from the March 2010 CPS. Historical migration data derived from the 

Decennial Census and CPS/ASEC 

questions on residence 5 years 

ago are provided and discussed for 

comparative purposes. The 5-year 

mobility question asked for information about respondents aged 5 

years and over whether they lived 

in the same house or apartment 5 

1 For the purpose of this report, CPS and 

ASEC are used interchangeably even though 

the ASEC is a supplement within the CPS 

survey. 

years ago. This type of question is 

limited by the fact that it does not 

capture repeat migration (people 

who leave a residence and return 

within the 5-year period) and only 

captures one move. Moves are 

commonly classified by type: within 

the same county, from a different 

county in the same state, from a 

different state, or from abroad.

Report Highlights 

· The 5-year mover rate for 2010 

was 35.4 percent, the lowest in 

CPS history. 

· Among those who moved, the 

type of move shifted towards 

movement within the same 

county (61.0 percent). 

· People in their mid to late twenties had the highest mover rate 

of 65.5 percent. 

· Unemployed individuals (47.7 

percent) were more mobile than 

their employed (civilian) counterparts (37.2 percent).

· Between 2005 and 2010, the 

South was the only region to 

report a significant net gain of 

1.1 million due to migration. 

BACKGROUND

Since 1940, every 10 years the 

census asked individuals where 

they lived 5 years ago, with the 

exception of the 1950 Census, 

which asked for residence 1 year 

ago. Beginning in 1975, the CPS 

asked a similar question on previous residence for the first 5 years 

of the decade, a period not covered 

by the census. This allowed for an 

expansion of the time series and 

provided 5-year estimates for the 

period between decennial censuses. 

With the discontinuation of the 

census long form after the 2000 

Census, no 5-year mobility data 

were collected in the 2010 Census. 

In that year, the CPS/ASEC collected 1-year and 5-year geographic 

mobility data, providing users with 

an uninterrupted set of 5-year data 

covering a 40-year period. 
2 U.S. Census Bureau

MOVER RATES AND TRENDS

According to data from the 2010 

Current Population Survey shown in 

Table 1, 100.2 million people aged 

5 years and over lived in a different 

residence 5 years ago.2 The number 

of movers decreased from 107.0 

million reported in the 2000–2005 

period, the last time 5-year CPS 

migration data were collected. The 

mover rate also decreased from 

39.5 percent for 2000–2005 to 

35.4 percent for 2005–2010. 

Figure 1 shows mover rates from 

1970 through 2010 for the 

Decennial Census, 5-year CPS, and 

1-year CPS.3 Focusing exclusively 

on mover rates from the CPS 5-year 

estimates, the 1975 estimate of 

45.6 percent is the highest. The 

1985 rate fell to 41.7 percent due 

to decreases in all types of moves. 

The 1995 mover rate increased 

to 44.1 percent and has declined 

for both 5-year mobility periods 

thereafter. 

2 All comparative statements in this 

report have undergone statistical testing, 

and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons 

are statistically significant at the 10 percent 

significance level.

3 For comparison guidance regarding 

1-year and 5-year migration estimates, see 

the Appendix of this report.

For 2010, 21.6 percent of people 

5 years old and over moved to 

another residence within the same 

county. People who moved to a 

different county—within the same 

state and to a different state—

accounted for 6.7 percent and 5.6 

percent, respectively. Only 1.5 

percent of the population moved to 

the United States from abroad. The 

2005 estimates reflect a type of 

move distribution that varies from 

2010.4 Movers within the same 

county increased from 20.4 percent 

in 2005 to 21.6 percent in 2010. 

The percentage that moved to a different county, within the same state 

and to a different state, was 16.9 in 

2005 compared with 12.3 in 2010. 

People who moved from abroad 

represented a larger percentage in 

2005 (2.3 percent) than 2010 (1.5 

percent). 

4 Part of the difference in the type of 

move distribution may be due to a change 

in ASEC processing. This may have resulted 

in an overestimate of interstate movers for 

the 2005 estimates. For additional details on 

the processing change, see page 2, footnote 

6 of the Current Population Report titled 

“Geographical Mobility: 2008 to 2009” at 

<www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/p20-565

.pdf> or the “Impact of Processing on CPS 

Interstate Migration Rates” at <www.census

.gov/population/www/socdemo/CPSnote

.pdf>. 

Percent distribution in Figure 2 

focuses on those who moved 

instead of the total population 5 

years and over. Because percent 

distribution is limited to movers, 

fluctuations in one type of move 

result in changes to others. In 

2010, the same county mover estimate of 61.0 percent reached an all 

time high for the ASEC. The remaining types of moves all showed 

significant decreases between 2005 

and 2010, especially movers from a 

different state (19.7 percent to 15.7 

percent) and movers from a different county within the same state 

(23.0 percent to 19.0 percent).5

Results from 1985 and 1995 

further support the notion that 

decreases in the percent moved 

from a different county within the 

same state and from a different 

state were primarily responsible 

for the distribution shift to moves 

within the same county. The different county categories, same state 

and different state, comprised 38.5 

percent of movers in 1995 and 

5 The percentage point decreases of movers from a different state and different county 

within the same state are not significantly 

different.

Table 1. 

Five-Year Mover Rates, by Type: 1970–2010

(Numbers in thousands)

Mobility period

Total, 5 years 

and over

Number of 

movers Mover rate

Margin of 

error1 (+/–)

Percent moved

Same county

Different county

Same state From abroad

Different 

state

2005–2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . 282,846 100,152 35.4 0.29 21.6 6.7 5.6 1.5

2000–2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . 270,904 107,012 39.5 0.31 20.4 9.1 7.8 2.3

1995–2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . 262,375 120,348 45.9 0.01 24.9 9.7 8.4 2.9

1990–1995. . . . . . . . . . . . . 241,805 106,616 44.1 0.45 25.0 8.8 8.1 2.2

1985–1990. . . . . . . . . . . . . 230,446 107,649 46.7 0.01 25.5 9.7 9.4 2.2

1980–1985. . . . . . . . . . . . . 216,108 90,126 41.7 0.45 22.1 9.1 8.7 1.8

1975–1980. . . . . . . . . . . . . 210,323 97,629 46.4 0.01 25.1 9.8 9.7 1.9

1970–19752. . . . . . . . . . . . 183,093 83,442 45.6 0.47 25.6 8.9 9.1 2.0

1965–19702. . . . . . . . . . . . 176,354 77,790 44.1 0.01 24.6 8.9 9.1 1.5

1 The margin of error, or MOE, when added to or subtracted from the mover rate, represents the 90 percent confidence interval around the estimate.

2 The 1970 Census and 1975 Current Population Survey (CPS) estimates do not include respondents who did not specify a mobility status. 

Note: Comparisons between data from the CPS and the Decennial Census must be made with caution because of sampling and 

nonsampling variability. Data from the Decennial Census are for the total resident population of the United States, whereas data from the March CPS are for the 

civilian noninstitutionalized population plus members of the Armed Forces living off post or with their families on post and are therefore not totally comparable. 

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 1975, 1985, 1995, 

2005, and 2010. 
U.S. Census Bureau 3

Figure 1.

Mover Rate: 1970–2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 

1975, 1980–2010. 

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Percent 

Census (5-year)

CPS 5-year

CPS 1-year

Figure 2.

Five-Year Percent Distribution of Movers: 1980–2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 

1985, 1995, 2005, and 2010.

(In percent)

From abroad

Different county,

different state

Different county, 

same state

Same county

1980 Census 1985 CPS 1990 Census 1995 CPS 2000 Census 2005 CPS 2010 CPS

20.9

21.1

54.0 53.1 54.5 56.7 54.4

51.6

61.0

21.8 20.7 20.0 21.0 23.0

19.0

4.0 4.3 4.7 4.9 6.2 5.7 4.3

20.8 20.1 18.5 18.4 19.7 15.7
4 U.S. Census Bureau

42.6 percent in 1985, more than 

the 34.8 percent in 2010. 

CHARACTERISTICS

Table 2 contains selected demographic characteristics from the 

“Geographical Mobility: 2005 

to 2010, 5-Year Detailed Table 

Package.”6 Characteristics discussed in this report include age, 

race and Hispanic origin, marital 

status, educational attainment, 

labor force status, household 

income in 2009, tenure, and 

poverty status. Proper utilization 

of characteristics helps to identify 

differences in migration patterns 

among various subgroups. 

People in their mid to late 

twenties were the most 

mobile. 

Respondents between the ages of 

25 and 29 had the highest 5-year 

mover rate of any age group, at 

65.5 percent. About 48.0 percent 

of 18 to 24 year olds also moved 

during this time period. These 

ages are a common time in the life 

course when people are transitioning between college, first jobs, and 

establishing their own households. 

The two oldest age categories, 65 

to 74 years old and 75 years and 

over, had the lowest mover rates 

at 15.2 percent and 11.9 percent, 

respectively. For these older ages, 

the percentage that moved within 

the same county was less than 

ten percent, well below the rate 

reported by younger age groups. 

Mover rates and type of move 

differ by race. 

Respondents who reported being 

Hispanic or Latino of any race 

6 The 2010 detailed tables have been 

redesigned to decrease repetition present in 

the 2005 tables. For comparison guidance 

between the 2005 and 2010 tables, see the 

“5-Year ASEC Table Package Comparison” at 

<www.census.gov/hhes/migration/data/cps

/usernote2010.html>. 

or who reported being Black or 

African American had the highest 

mover rates with 43.1 percent and 

42.9 percent, respectively.7,8 The 

distributions of moves for these 

two groups tell completely different stories. Moves from a different 

county were more common among 

Black or African Americans (12.5 

percent) than Hispanics or Latinos 

(9.1 percent). However, Asians had 

the highest percentage of movers 

from abroad, with 9.5 percent followed by Hispanic or Latino with 

3.0 percent. These were higher 

than the rates for Black or African 

American with 1.7 percent and 

White, not Hispanic or Latino with 

1.0 percent. 

Occupants of rental housing 

units were more mobile than 

occupants of owned housing 

units. 

The 5-year mover rate suggests 

people living in renter-occupied 

housing units were much more 

mobile than those living in 

7 Federal surveys now give respondents 

the option of reporting more than one race. 

Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race 

group are possible. A group such as Asian 

may be defined as those who reported Asian 

and no other race (the race-alone or singlerace concept) or as those who reported 

Asian regardless of whether they also 

reported another race (the race-alone-or-incombination concept). This report shows data 

using the first approach (race alone). This 

report will refer to the White-alone population 

as White, the Black or African American-alone 

population as Black or African American, 

the Asian-alone population as Asian, and 

the White-alone-non-Hispanic population 

as White, not Hispanic or Latino. Use of the 

single-race population does not imply that it 

is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. The Census Bureau uses a variety 

of approaches. In this report, the term “White, 

not Hispanic or Latino” refers to people who 

are not Hispanic and who reported White and 

no other race. The Census Bureau uses nonHispanic Whites as the comparison group for 

other race groups and Hispanics. Because 

Hispanics may be any race, data in this report 

for Hispanics overlap with data for racial 

groups.

8 The mover rate for Hispanic or Latinos is 

not statistically different from that of Black or 

African Americans. 

owner-occupied housing units.9

About two-thirds of renters moved 

within a 5-year period compared 

with less than one-quarter of owners. Part of this difference can be 

attributed to movers within the 

same county. Approximately 40.7 

percent of renters moved within 

the same county, while 13.2 percent of owners moved within the 

same county. 

People who completed 

some college coursework or 

obtained a post-secondary 

degree had higher levels of 

mobility from a different state 

than those who did not pursue 

education beyond high school.

Among the population 25 years 

and over, those with a bachelor’s 

degree had the highest mover rate: 

35.6 percent. Among professional 

or graduate degree holders, 8.4 

percent moved from another state, 

7.7 percent who attained a bachelor’s degree moved from a different state, and 5.5 percent of people 

with some college or an associate’s 

degrees moved from a different 

state. About 4 percent of high 

school graduates and 3.1 percent 

of those who did not graduate from 

high school completed a state-tostate move. 

Separated individuals were the 

most mobile marital status. 

For the population 15 years and 

over, 51.6 percent of separated 

respondents moved between 

2005 and 2010. Marital events 

such as separation often require 

a move and may explain why this 

group has the highest rates. Never 

married respondents are another 

mobile group with a mover rate 

of 44.2 percent. Never married 

individuals tend to be younger and 

9 From this point forward, people living 

in renter-occupied housing units are referred 

to as “renters” and people living in owneroccupied housing units are “owners.” 
U.S. Census Bureau 5

Table 2. 

Five-Year Mover Rates, by Selected Characteristics: 2005–2010

(Numbers in thousands)

Selected characteristics

Total Movers Mover rate

Percent

Same 

county

Different county Movers 

from 

Same state abroad

Different 

state

 Total, 5 years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . 282,846 100,152 35.4 21.6 6.7 5.6 1.5

Sex

Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138,530 49,468 35.7 21.7 6.8 5.7 1.6

Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144,316 50,684 35.1 21.5 6.7 5.5 1.4

Age

5 to 9 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,785 9,292 44.7 28.9 8.0 6.1 1.7

10 to 17 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,820 11,369 34.6 23.1 5.6 4.5 1.5

18 to 24 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,313 14,068 48.0 27.9 10.5 7.4 2.2

25 to 29 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,453 14,043 65.5 37.5 13.2 11.6 3.2

30 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,079 27,311 45.5 27.6 8.3 7.3 2.3

45 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79,782 18,781 23.5 14.6 4.5 3.7 0.8

65 to 74 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,956 3,177 15.2 8.5 3.2 3.2 0.3

75 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,657 2,110 11.9 7.1 2.6 2.0 0.3

Race and Hispanic Origin

White alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226,457 76,251 33.7 20.4 6.7 5.6 1.0

Black or African American alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,363 15,159 42.9 28.7 7.2 5.3 1.7

Asian alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,991 5,282 40.7 19.6 5.6 6.0 9.5

Hispanic or Latino1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,343 18,689 43.1 31.0 5.2 3.9 3.0

Tenure

In an owner-occupied housing unit. . . . . . . . . . . . 196,656 43,588 22.2 13.2 4.7 3.7 0.6

In a renter-occupied housing unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . 86,190 56,564 65.6 40.7 11.3 9.9 3.7

Educational Attainment (aged 25 and over)

Not a high school graduate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,711 8,566 33.3 23.6 4.4 3.1 2.2

High school graduate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62,456 18,733 30.0 19.6 5.6 3.9 0.9

Some college or associate’s degree. . . . . . . . . . . 51,920 17,397 33.5 20.2 6.9 5.5 0.9

Bachelor’s degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,784 13,792 35.6 18.4 7.5 7.7 1.8

Professional or graduate degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,056 6,933 32.9 16.0 6.3 8.4 2.2

Marital Status (aged 15 and over)

Married. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124,219 35,823 28.8 16.5 5.6 5.1 1.6

Widowed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,356 2,599 18.1 11.3 3.4 2.9 0.5

Divorced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,758 9,523 40.1 26.1 7.7 5.8 0.5

Separated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,541 2,858 51.6 33.9 9.5 6.8 1.4

Never married. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,294 32,837 44.2 27.0 8.5 6.7 1.9

Household Income (in 2009, aged 15 and over)

Without income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,914 11,418 36.9 22.7 5.8 5.0 3.5

Under $10,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,920 14,870 35.5 21.2 6.9 5.7 1.7

$10,000 to $29,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,270 26,300 35.4 22.0 6.8 5.3 1.3

$30,000 to $49,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,553 15,281 35.1 21.2 7.4 5.5 0.9

$50,000 to $74,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,421 8,648 31.5 17.8 6.8 6.0 1.0

$75,000 to $99,999. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,822 3,315 30.6 17.4 6.0 6.4 0.8

$100,000 and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,268 3,806 28.7 15.4 5.6 6.7 0.9

Employment Status (aged 16 and over)

Employed (civilian). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137,753 51,241 37.2 22.6 7.3 5.8 1.4

Unemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,764 7,519 47.7 29.3 9.4 7.3 1.7

Armed Forces2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 937 681 72.7 21.2 8.2 36.4 6.8

Not in labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83,641 22,851 27.3 16.0 5.2 4.6 1.5

Poverty Status

Below 100 percent of poverty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,673 20,300 52.5 33.8 9.0 6.7 3.0

100 percent to 149 percent of poverty. . . . . . . . . . 25,650 10,832 42.2 27.7 7.5 4.8 2.2

150 percent of poverty and above. . . . . . . . . . . . . 218,523 69,020 31.6 18.7 6.2 5.5 1.1

1 Hispanics and Latinos may be of any race.

2 Includes members of the Armed Forces in the United States living off post or with their families on post, but excludes all other members of the Armed Forces.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2010.
6 U.S. Census Bureau

therefore, more mobile. Widowed 

respondents were least likely to 

have moved (18.1 percent) and 

tend to be older. 

Movement among several 

household income groups is 

not statistically different. 

The 2010 ASEC asks about the 

respondent’s household income in 

2009 instead of 2005. The difference in the total mover rate among 

several of the lower household 

income groups is not statistically 

different. For example, households 

that earned under $10,000 or less, 

$10,000 to $29,999, or $30,000 

to $49,999 all had mover rates 

ranging from 35.1 percent to 35.5 

percent. Other household income 

groups reported lower mover 

rates. Households with income of 

$75,000 to $99,999 and $100,000 

and over had movers rates of 

30.6 percent and 28.7 percent, 

respectively. 

Members of the Armed Forces 

tend to move a lot, especially 

from a different state and 

abroad. 

Of the population 16 years and 

over, 37.2 percent of the employed 

civilian workforce lived at a different residence 5 years ago. People 

employed by the Armed Forces 

had the highest mover rate of any 

employment status, with 72.7 

percent.10 As shown in Table 2, this 

is a very mobile population, with 

36.4 percent moving from a different state and 6.8 percent moving 

from abroad within a 5-year period. 

Unemployed respondents were the 

second most mobile group, with 

47.7 percent. About 30 percent of 

the unemployed moved within the 

same county, the highest of any 

employment status. 

10 Only members of the Armed Forces 

living off post or with their families on post in 

the United States are included. 

About one-third of 

respondents below 100 

percent of poverty moved to a 

different residence within the 

same county.

People below 100 percent of poverty had the highest mover rate 

with 52.5 percent. People at or 

above 150 percent of poverty had 

a considerably lower mover rate 

of 31.6 percent. This difference is 

attributable to lower percentages 

for all types of moves, especially 

within the same county (18.7) and 

to a different county within the 

same state (6.2 percent). 

IN, OUT, AND NET 

MIGRATION BY REGIONS 

AND METRO STATUS

One strength of ASEC data is 

the ability to identify migrations 

between regions of the United 

States. The following section 

focuses on regional migration in 

order to determine the population change resulting from 5-year 

migration. 

Region

Regional migration approaches 

population change from more of 

a larger scale, macro level rather 

than the micro level same county/

different county approach. Regional 

migration concentrates on the 

overall redistribution of people 

as they move throughout the 

country. Three different types of 

regional changes are contained in 

Table 3: inmigrants, outmigrants, 

and net domestic migration. For 

this report, inmigrants are people 

who moved into an area during 

a 5-year period. Outmigrants are 

people who moved out of an area 

over the same period. The term 

net domestic migration refers to 

the overall change in an area when 

both inmigrants and outmigrants 

are taken into consideration. This 

number provides the clearest 

picture of population change in an 

area, due to migration, by limiting 

the outside influence of immigration (movement into the country 

from abroad). To calculate the 

net domestic migration estimate, 

subtract the number of outmigrants 

from the number of inmigrants. A 

positive result means the region 

gained population, while a negative result means the region lost 

population. If the net domestic 

migration estimate has an asterisk 

symbol (*) next to it, then the estimate is statistically different from 

zero. 

Data from Table 3 and Figures 3, 

4, and 5 display in, out, and net 

domestic migration estimates by 

region from 1970 to 2010. The 

first 5-year estimates from the 

CPS are from 1975. According to 

these data, the South reported 4.1 

million inmigrants and the West 

had 2.3 million. The Midwest had 

the largest number of outmigrants 

with 2.9 million and the West had 

the lowest with 1.6 million. The net 

domestic migration estimates show 

the Northeast losing more than 1 

million people during this time.11

The South and West both gained 

population, although the South was 

the only region with a net gain of 1 

million or more people. 

The estimates from the 1995 ASEC 

are an approximate midpoint 

between 1975 and 2010 data. 

Keeping with results present in 

the 1975 data, the South continued to have the largest number of 

inmigrants with 4.7 million and 

the Northeast had the least with 

1.2 million. However, the variation in outmigration was considerably smaller in 1995 compared 

with 1975. In 1975, outmigration 

ranged from 1.6 million to 2.9 million. The 1995 estimates ranged 

11 Estimates for the Northeast and 

Midwest are not significantly different. 
U.S. Census Bureau 7

from 2.5 million to 2.7 million.12,13

The outmigration for all regions 

between 1990 and 1995 was not 

significantly different from one 

another. Taking the components of 

inmigration and outmigration into 

consideration simultaneously, the 

12 The 1995 outmigration estimates of 2.5 

million and 2.7 million are not significantly 

different. 

13 The 1975 estimate of 2.9 million is not 

significantly different from the 1995 estimate 

of 2.7 million. 

net domestic migration estimates 

from 1995 indicate that the 

Northeast and Midwest lost population during this 5-year period. With 

2.0 million, the South was the only 

region that experienced an increase 

in population due to migration. 

Data from the 2010 ASEC indicate 

a continuation of historical regional 

migration trends. The South led 

inmigration with 3.5 million and 

the Northeast placed last with 

1 million people. Outmigration 

estimates for the regions were 

between 1.8 million for the 

Northeast and 2.4 million for the 

South.14 For net domestic migration, only the South had a significant increase in the population due 

to migration. 

14 Outmigration estimates for the 

Northeast and West and the South and 

Midwest were not significantly different 

from one another. 

Table 3. 

Five-Year In, Out, and Net Domestic Migration, by Region: 1970–2010

(Numbers in thousands)

Period Northeast Midwest South West

2005–2010

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 992 1,818 3,497 2,013

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,824 2,168 2,386 1,942

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–832 *–350 *1,111 71

2000–2005: 

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,290 1,909 4,124 2,294

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,313 2,328 2,701 2,273

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–1,024 *–420 *1,422 21

1995–2000: 

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,537 2,410 5,042 2,666

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,808 2,951 3,243 2,654

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –1,271 –541 1,800 12

1990–1995 

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,162 2,190 4,682 2,269

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,477 2,643 2,653 2,530

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–1,316 *–452 *2,029 –261

1985–1990: 

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,604 2,324 4,769 2,827

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,720 3,172 3,344 2,289

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –1,116 –848 1,426 538

1980–1985: 

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,218 1,902 4,428 2,641

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,239 3,426 2,631 1,992

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–1,021 *–1,524 *1,797 *649

1975–1980:

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,275 2,125 4,738 3,114

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,059 3,505 2,752 1,935

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –1,785 –1,380 1,986 1,179

1970–1975:

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,057 1,731 4,083 2,347

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,399 2,927 2,254 1,638

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *–1,342 *–1,196 *1,829 *709

1965–1970: 

Inmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,273 2,024 3,142 2,309

Outmigrants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,988 2,661 2,486 1,613

Net domestic migration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . –715 –637 657 695

* The net migration flows are significantly different from zero. Only net domestic migration estimates from the CPS were tested for significance. 

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 1975, 1985, 

1995, 2005, and 2010.
8 U.S. Census Bureau

Another approach to utilizing 

regional migration data to its fullest 

potential is to identify the characteristics of people moving into and 

out of a region. Table 4 provides 

these estimates by combining a 

limited set of selected characteristics from Table 2 and the in, out, 

and net domestic categorization 

of Table 3. The key components 

of this table are the net estimates, because they provide the 

best understanding of the overall 

change resulting from regional 

migration. For instance, we can 

tell that between 2005 and 2010 

the Northeast had a net loss of 

233,000 people aged 30 to 44. The 

South fared better, reporting a net 

gain of 232,000 people within this 

age range. In fact, the South was 

the only region to report a net gain 

in all age categories from 10 to 74 

years old. 

A topic of interest to many migration researchers is the movement 

of the college educated. A welleducated workforce is of interest to 

every city, state, and region. Table 

4 offers a general sense of where 

the highly educated are moving. 

From a regional perspective, the 

South and West were popular destinations among graduate degree 

holders 25 years and over with 

net gains of 89,000 and 104,000, 

respectively.15 The Northeast had 

a net loss of 124,000 professional 

or graduate degree holders. At the 

opposite end of the education spectrum, the South had the highest net 

gain of people who were not high 

school graduates with 106,000. 

15 Net migration estimates for the number 

of professional or graduate degree holders 

in the South and West are not significantly 

different. 

The Western region lost a net of 

54,000.16

DISTANCE MOVED 

A unique measure calculated using 

ASEC migration data is the distance 

a person moved. Distance moved 

is calculated by measuring the 

distance between the population 

center of the origin county and 

destination county.17 Because this 

approach is used, moves within the 

same county (intracounty) and from 

abroad are not calculated since 

their distance moved values would 

be zero.18 Only people who moved 

16 The net loss for the West is not significantly different from the net loss of the 

Northeast.

17 More details on this process can be 

found on page 10, footnote 14, of the Current 

Population Report titled “Geographical 

Mobility: 2002 to 2003” at <www.census.gov

/prod/2004pubs/p20-549.pdf>.

18 For intracounty movers, distance 

moved would equal zero because the origin 

and destination centroids are the same. 

For movers from abroad, there is no origin 

centroid for foreign countries. 

Figure 3.

Five-Year Domestic Inmigration, by Region: 1970–2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic 

Supplement, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2010.

South

West

Midwest

Northest

0

1,100

2,200

3,300

4,400

5,500

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Numbers in thousands 
U.S. Census Bureau 9

Figure 4.

Five-Year Domestic Outmigration, by Region: 1970–2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census, 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic 

Supplement, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2010.

Numbers in thousands 

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Figure 5.

Five-Year Domestic Net Migration, by Region: 1970–2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic 

Supplement, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2010.

Numbers in thousands 

Northeast

Midwest

South

West

-2000

-1500

-1000

-500

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
10 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 4. 

Inmigration, Outmigration, and Net Domestic Migration for Regions, by Selected 

Characteristics: 2005–2010

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics

Northeast Midwest South West

In Out Net In Out Net In Out Net In Out Net

 Total, 5 years and older . 992 1,824 *–831 1,818 2,168 *–350 3,497 2,386 *1,111 2,013 1,942 71

Sex

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488 922 *–433 887 1,094 *–207 1,735 1,156 *578 1,047 985 62

Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504 902 *–398 931 1,074 –143 1,762 1,230 *532 966 958 9

Age

5 to 9 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 126 *–54 183 165 18 269 206 63 148 175 –27

10 to 17 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 190 *–116 196 177 19 329 220 *110 149 162 –12

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 208 –37 222 306 *–85 433 313 *120 306 305 2

25 to 29 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 296 *–136 267 399 *–132 527 340 *187 361 280 80

30 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 496 *–233 520 540 –20 941 709 *232 595 574 21

45 to 64 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 335 *–141 329 447 *–118 702 449 *253 330 325 6

65 to 74 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 103 *–60 45 95 *–51 209 98 *111 82 83 –1

75 years and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 70 *–55 56 38 19 86 51 35 41 39 2

Race and Hispanic Origin

White alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 835 1,340 –505 1,492 1,709 –217 2,699 1,969 730 1,660 1,667 –8

Black or African American alone. . 74 320 –247 189 239 –50 540 212 328 114 145 –31

Asian alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 114 –60 96 151 –55 169 146 24 163 72 91

Hispanic or Latino1. . . . . . . . . . . . 69 160 –91 181 129 52 426 280 146 210 316 –106

Educational Attainment 

(25 years and over)

Not a high school graduate. . . . . . 35 76 *–40 87 99 –12 200 94 *106 60 114 *–54

High school graduate. . . . . . . . . . . 147 262 *–115 345 299 47 585 414 *171 209 311 *–103

Some college or associate’s 

degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 292 –126 331 368 –36 629 435 *194 344 376 –32

Bachelor’s degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 404 *–219 258 489 *–232 667 409 *258 508 316 *192

Professional or graduate degree. . 143 267 *–124 196 265 *–69 383 294 *89 288 184 *104

Marital Status (15 years and 

over)

Married. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 698 *–358 648 934 *–286 1,579 945 *634 813 803 10

Widowed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 56 *–30 42 59 –16 99 58 *40 54 48 6

Divorced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 126 *–30 176 143 32 293 244 *49 150 202 *–52

Separated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 48 *–34 68 44 *24 86 63 23 30 44 –13

Never married. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 636 *–237 579 701 *–122 956 733 *223 710 574 *136

Income in 2009 (16 years and 

over)

Without income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 130 *–45 151 180 –29 324 204 *120 166 212 *–46

Under $10,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 251 *–82 285 307 –21 460 371 *89 294 280 14

$10,000 to $29,999. . . . . . . . . . . . 226 442 *–216 499 546 –47 914 649 *266 487 489 –2

$30,000 to $49,999. . . . . . . . . . . . 160 299 *–139 277 341 *–65 579 330 *249 293 338 –45

$50,000 to $74,999. . . . . . . . . . . . 115 200 *–85 128 246 *–118 351 217 *135 227 159 *68

$75,000 and over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 223 *–114 142 240 *–97 351 241 *110 277 175 *101

Labor Force Status (16 years 

and over)2

Employed (civilian). . . . . . . . . . . . . 522 962 *–440 880 1,137 *–257 1,741 1,148 *592 1,077 971 *106

Unemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 131 *–64 143 184 *–41 291 174 *118 130 142 –12

Not in labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 443 *–174 439 503 *–65 874 611 *262 458 481 –23

* The net migration flows are significantly different from zero. 

1 Hispanics or Latinos may be of any race.

2 Excludes members of the Armed Forces in the United States due to limited regional mobility. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
U.S. Census Bureau 11

to a different county or different 

state are included in the distance 

moved measure. The typical categories are less than 50 miles, 50 

to 199 miles, 200 to 499 miles, and 

500 miles or more. 

Distance moved was first calculated 

in 2003 for 1-year ASEC migration estimates. In 2005, the same 

method was applied to calculate 

5-year distance moved estimates. 

The release of the 2010 5-year 

detailed table package marks the 

first time two 5-year distance 

moved estimates are available for 

comparison. Figure 6 emphasizes 

movers by displaying a percentage 

breakdown of type of move with 

intercounty movers subdivided by 

their distance moved. According 

to this figure, intracounty movers 

account for the majority of moves 

for 2005 and 2010; however, they 

comprise more of the distribution 

in 2010 (61.0 percent) than 2005 

(51.6 percent). Movers from abroad 

decreased from 5.7 percent in 2005 

to 4.3 percent in 2010. 

The distance moved category of 

less than 50 miles was the most 

common distance moved. Among 

all movers, 13.0 percent made 

an intercounty move less than 50 

miles in 2010. Intercounty moves 

500 miles or more were the second 

most common with 9.3 percent, 

trailed by 50 to 199 miles and 200 

to 499 miles, respectively. In 2005, 

intercounty moves less than 50 

miles also led the distance moved 

categories, and moves 200 to 499 

miles were last. The categories of 

50 to 199 miles and 500 miles or 

more were not significantly different from one another in 2005. 

Both of these distances moved 

decreased between 2005 and 2010. 

In the detailed table package, 

distance moved is tabulated by 

various characteristics to provide 

an idea of how intercounty movers 

with selected characteristics differ 

by their distance moved. Educational attainment is of particular 

interest because distance moved 

can be determined across educational attainment categories. 

As displayed in Figure 7, there is 

considerable variation in distance 

moved across education groups. 

About 70 percent of moves by 

people who were not high school 

graduates were within the same 

county. Among the distance moved 

categories, less than 50 miles was 

the highest with 9.5 percent. The 

longest distance moved category of 

500 miles or more had 5.5 percent. 

For comparison purposes, those 

with a graduate or professional 

degree had 48.6 percent of their 

Figure 6.

Type of Move and Distance Moved: 2005 and 2010

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic 

Supplement, 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2010.

(in percent)

2005

2010 5.0 9.3

51.6 13.6 10.6 7.7 10.7

4.3

5.7

61.0 13.0 7.5

Intracounty

movers 

(distance not

determined)

Intercounty Movers 

Less than

50 miles

50 to 199 

miles

200 to 499 

miles

500 miles 

or more 

From abroad

(distance not

determined)
12 U.S. Census Bureau

moves within the same county. The 

500 miles or more category was 

the largest distance moved with 

15.4 percent. Less than 50 miles 

was the second largest with 13.6 

percent. These results indicate that 

among those who moved, there is a 

much greater likelihood that people 

who did not graduate high school 

will move within the same county 

than someone with a professional 

or graduate degree. Conversely, 

intercounty mobility, of any distance, was more common among 

professional or graduate degree 

movers than movers without a high 

school degree. This is especially 

true for intercounty moves of 500 

miles or more, which was 2.8 times 

greater for movers with a graduate or professional degree than 

movers who were not high school 

graduates. 

SUMMARY

From 2010 on, the CPS will be the 

sole provider of 5-year migration 

statistics collected by the Census 

Bureau.19 With the discontinuation 

of the census long form, 5-year 

migration data would not have 

been available for 2010. To remedy this, the CPS decided to add a 

5-year migration question to the 

survey instrument. Future plans 

include continuing to add a 5-year 

19 The American Community Survey (ACS) 

currently releases 5-year multiyear estimates 

for migration. These estimates are based 

upon data for residence 1 year ago collected 

over a 60-month period. They are not equivalent to 5-year CPS estimates, which are based 

upon data for residence 5 years ago collected 

over a three-month period between the 

months of February and April. For additional 

information on ACS multiyear estimates, 

consult the American Community Survey 

Multiyear Accuracy of the Data at 

<www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads

/data_documentation/Accuracy

/MultiyearACSAccuracyofData2010.pdf>. 

Figure 7.

Educational Attainment by Type of Move and Distance Moved: 2010

(In percent. Population 25 years and over)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000; Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 

1975, 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2010.

Professional or

graduate degree

Bachelor's

degree

Some college

or AA degree

High school

graduate

Not a high

school graduate

13.5

14.6

9.5 4.6

6.3 4.6

3.1 5.5

7.3

7.5 4.8

9.1 6.1 13.4

8.1 7.7 15.4

14.5

13.6

51.8

48.6

3.0

6.6

2.7

5.2

6.6

60.4

70.7

10.0

65.3

Intracounty

movers 

(distance not

determined)

Intercounty Movers 

Less than

50 miles

50 to 199 

miles

200 to 499 

miles

500 miles

or more 

From abroad

(distance not

determined)
U.S. Census Bureau 13

migration question to years ending 

in “5” and “0” in order to provide 

a streak of uninterrupted 5-year 

migration data dating back to 

1970. 

Several noteworthy results from 

the 2010 ASEC were discussed in 

this report. The number of movers 

and the mover rate both decreased 

from their 2005 levels. The 2010 

mover rate of 35.4 percent was the 

lowest CPS estimate since it began 

collecting 5-year migration data 

in 1975. A smaller percentage of 

people moved to a different county 

(within the same state and to a 

different state) in 2010 than 2005. 

Respondents between the ages of 

25 and 29 were the most mobile 

age group between 2005 and 

2010. Approximately two-thirds 

lived at a different residence during 

this period. The unemployed were 

a particularly mobile group as well, 

more so than employed civilians. 

SOURCES OF THE DATA

The population universe in the 

ASEC is the civilian noninstitutionalized population living in the United 

States. Members of the Armed 

Forces living off post or with their 

families on post are included if 

at least one civilian adult lives in 

the household. The institutionalized population, which is excluded 

from the population universe, is 

composed primarily of the population in correctional institutions and 

nursing homes (91 percent of the 

4.1 million institutionalized people 

in Census 2000). Most of the data 

from the ASEC were collected in 

March (with some data collected in 

February and April), and the data 

were controlled to independent 

population estimates for March 

2010. For annual time series from 

the CPS, data collected in the 2010 

ASEC may be compared with data 

collected in the March supplement 

to the CPS in prior years. 

The population represented (the 

population universe) in the 

Decennial Census is the population 

living in the United States on 

April 1 of that year. This includes 

people living in group quarters, noninstitutionalized and 

institutionalized. 

ACCURACY OF THE 

ESTIMATES

Statistics from surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling 

error. All comparisons presented 

in this report have taken sampling 

error into account and are significant at the 90-percent confidence 

level. This means the 90-percent 

confidence interval for the difference between the estimates being 

compared does not include zero. 

Nonsampling errors in surveys 

may be attributed to a variety of 

sources, such as how the survey 

is designed, how respondents 

interpret questions, how able and 

willing respondents are to provide correct answers, and how 

accurately the answers are coded 

and classified. The Census Bureau 

employs quality control procedures 

throughout the production process, 

including the overall design of 

surveys, the wording of questions, 

review of the work of interviewers 

and coders, and statistical 

review of reports to minimize these 

errors. 

The CPS weighting procedure uses 

ratio estimation, whereby sample 

estimates are adjusted to independent estimates of the national 

population by age, race, sex, and 

Hispanic origin. This weighting 

partially corrects for bias due to 

undercoverage, but biases may still 

be present when people who are 

missed by the survey differ from 

those interviewed in ways other 

than age, race, sex, and Hispanic 

origin. How this weighting procedure affects other variables in the 

survey is not precisely known. All 

of these considerations affect comparisons across different surveys or 

data sources.

For further information on statistical standards and the computation 

and use of standard errors, go to 

<www.census.gov/apsd/techdoc

/cps/cpsmar10.pdf> or contact the 

Census Bureau’s Demographic Statistical Methods Division via e-mail 

at <dsmd.source.and.accuracy

@census.gov>.

Data from the Decennial Census are 

based on the sample of households 

who responded to the long form. 

In 2000, approximately 1 out of 

every 6 housing units nationally 

were included in this sample.20 As 

a result, the sample estimates may 

differ somewhat from 100-

percent figures that would have 

been obtained if all housing units, 

people within those housing units, 

and people living in group quarters 

had been enumerated using the 

same questionnaires, instructions, 

enumerators, and so forth. The 

sample estimates also differ from 

the values that would have been 

obtained from different samples of 

housing units, people within those 

housing units, and people living in 

group quarters. The deviation of a 

sample estimate from the average 

of all possible samples is called 

sampling error. 

In addition to the variability that 

arises from the sampling procedures, both sample data and 

100-percent data are subject to 

nonsampling error. Nonsampling 

error may be introduced during any 

of the various complex operations 

used to collect and process census 

data. Such errors include: not enumerating every household or every 

person in the population, failing 

to obtain all required information 

from the respondents, obtaining 

20 The rates for previous censuses vary. 
14 U.S. Census Bureau

incorrect or inconsistent information, and recording information 

incorrectly. In addition, errors can 

occur during the field review of the 

enumerator’s work, during clerical 

handling of the census questionnaires, or during the electronic 

processing of the questionnaires. 

Nonsampling error may affect the 

data in two ways: (1) errors that are 

introduced randomly will increase 

the variability of the data and, 

therefore should be reflected in 

the standard errors; and (2) errors 

that tend to be consistent in one 

direction will bias both sample and 

100-percent data in that direction. For example, if respondents 

consistently tend to underreport 

their incomes, then the resulting 

estimates of households or families 

by income category will tend to be 

understated for the higher income 

categories and overstated for the 

lower income categories. Such 

biases are not reflect in the standard errors. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Detailed geographical mobility/

migration tables from the 2010 

ASEC are available on the Census 

Bureau’s Web site <www.census

.gov>. Once on the site, click “Subjects A to Z,” select “M,” then select 

“Migration/Geographical Mobility.” 

From the “Geographical Mobility/

Migration” page, use the quick 

links for “CPS Data on Geographical Mobility/Migration.” Under the 

“Geographical Mobility: 2005 to 

2010, 5-year” subheading select 

“Detailed Tables.” 

CONTACTS

David K. Ihrke

david.k.ihrke@census.gov

Carol S. Faber

carol.s.faber@census.gov

For additional information, contact 

the U.S. Census Bureau Customer 

Services Center at 1-800-923-8282 

(toll free) or visit <ask.census.gov>. 

SUGGESTED CITATION

Ihrke, David K., and Carol S. Faber. 

2012. Geographical Mobility: 

2005 to 2010. Current Population 

Reports, P20-567. U.S. Census 

Bureau, Washington, DC.
U.S. Census Bureau 15

APPENDIX

Comparison Guidance: FiveYear Migration and One-Year 

Migration

The 5-year mobility question asks 

respondents 5 years old and over 

where they lived 5 years ago. The 

1-year question asks respondents 

1 year old and over where they 

lived 1 year ago. Changing the 

time interval (i.e., reference period) 

causes 1- and 5-year estimates to 

become too different and therefore 

not comparable. One year questions are better suited to capture 

people who move repeatedly, 

while 5-year questions offer a 

better overall picture of long-term 

changes among the population as a 

whole. For example, a respondent 

moves once a year between 2005 

and 2010. This person is selected 

to participate in the 2010 CPS and 

answers that they lived in a different residence 5 years ago. They are 

counted as a mover once using a 

5-year question. If the same person 

participated in the 2006 through 

2010 CPS using 1-year questions, 

they would be categorized as a 

mover 5 times, once for each year. 

To reiterate, the same person could 

be theoretically counted as a mover 

five times using multiple 1-year 

questions but only once using a 

5-year question covering the same 

period. Figure 1 provides a visual 

representation of 1- and 5-year 

mover rates. A common misconception is that multiplying a 1-year 

estimate by five equals a 5-year 

estimate. Using 2010 ASEC data 

as an example, the 1-year mover 

rate is 12.5 percent. Multiplying 

the 1-year estimate by five results 

in 62.5 percent (12.5*5=62.5). The 

actual 5-year mover rate for 2010 

is 35.4 percent. Multiplying the 

1-year estimate by five incorrectly 

assumes that the same percentage of people move within any 

given year and that the estimates 

are independent, which is often 

not the case. Taking the opposite 

approach of dividing the 5-year 

estimate by five yields 7.08 percent (35.4/5=7.08). This estimate 

falls well below any of the 1-year 

estimates between 2005 and 2010 

again, because more people move 

multiple times in the 5-year period. 

Because of these differences, 1-year 

data should be compared only with 

other annual data. 

Looking at Figure 1, both sets of 

CPS mover rates, 1-year and 5-year, 

show a decrease when comparing results from 2005 and 2010. 

This decrease in the mover rate 

appears to be more dramatic for 

the 5-year estimates due to limited 

data points on the graph. One-year 

estimates are available on a more 

frequent basis (annually), smoothing out the line.