ASSESSING THE DIFFERENCES IN DISTANCE OF INTERSTATE MIGRATION, 1980

Distance is an integral dimension of migration; yet, in recent years, ignored in migration research except aa a control variable. This study examines distance of 1975-80 interstate migration and several explana tions for the relations between distance and characteristic of migrant s and locations. While earlier research provides only a few findings t o replicate, the literature is replete with suggestions concerning the relation between distance and both areal and individual characteristi cs. These include that distance represents transportation costs, psych ic costs - eg., separation from family and friends and cultural dissim ilarity of areas - intervening opportunities and competing migrants, g eographic scope of labor market and diminishing information about oppo rtunities.Observations are individual records from the 1980 one-in-ten -thousand PUMS files. The sample is restricted to nonblack, noninstitu tionalized head of households, age 25 to 64 in 1980. Respondents must be civilians and residing in the contiguous 48 states in both 1975 and 1980. Individual characteristics include distance of migration, sex, age, marital status, nativity, education, personal income, occupation, employment status and student status. Most location characteristics a re from County Statistics File 2. These characteristics include averag e wage, per capita income, unemployment, average number of days per ye ar below freezing and variables on local government taxes, educational expenditures, health expenditure and welfare expenditures. Additional ly, we use proportion of the population born in state of origin residi ng at destination as a measure of information flow between origin and destination. We correct for sample selection bias in restricting the s tudy to migrants. We find outmigration is shaped by characteristics of individuals; however, distance of migration is shaped by characterist ics at locations. Findings lend support to an interpretation of distan ce reflecting psychic costs and information and are consistent with a cost/benefit view of factors contributing to distance of migration.