Quality of Life and the Migration of the College‐Educated: A Life‐Course Approach

Abstract

This paper examines how the college-educated population-segmented into selective demographic groups, from young adults to the elderly-differentially values quality-of-life (QOL) indicators of metropolitan areas in the United States. Using data from the 2000 Census and the 1997 Places Rated Almanac, out-migration patterns are shown to depend jointly upon stage in the life course, the spatial-demographic setting, and QOL characteristics. An abundance of cultural and recreational amenities lowers out-migration rates of young college-educated. For the older college-educated population, the revealed preferences shift toward concerns for safety and a strong preference for milder climates. The study also finds significantly lower out-migration rates for metropolitan areas with growing human capital. In light of shifting age distributions and rising educational attainment levels, the results have important implications for the emergence of new migration patterns and the concentration of human capital.

Human capital, higher education institutions, and quality of life

“…Highly educated individuals are on average more mobile than their less educated counterparts, and Whisler et al (2008) suggest that areas with nice amenities differentially attract educated persons. If so, causality might flow from high quality of life to a highly educated population.…”

Inter-regional migration in Indonesia: a micro approach

“…The level of education not only affects the likelihood of migration but also the direction of migration: skilled labour tends to move from less developed areas to more developed areas (Iredale 2001). For the United States, Whisler et al (2008) showed that college-educated persons have preferences for very specific destinations, that is, young graduates have a strong preference for large metropolitan areas. A study by Stockdale and Catney (2014) for rural-urban migration in Northern Ireland showed that migration from rural areas to urban areas is commonly characterized by young adults moving for tertiary education and/or looking for a job.…”

“…Nivalainen (2003) found that the somewhat higher propensity of migration around retirement age from urban to rural areas in Finland was not related to income and the location of jobs. For the United States, Whisler et al (2008) found that retirees were most likely to move from metropolitan areas with high living costs and unfavourable climates to more affordable and comfortable areas. In line with Whisler et al (2008)'s findings, Stockdale and Catney (2014) found for the case of Northern Ireland that people around retirement age featured in migration from urban centres towards rural destinations.…”

“…For the United States, Whisler et al (2008) found that retirees were most likely to move from metropolitan areas with high living costs and unfavourable climates to more affordable and comfortable areas. In line with Whisler et al (2008)'s findings, Stockdale and Catney (2014) found for the case of Northern Ireland that people around retirement age featured in migration from urban centres towards rural destinations. Stockdale and Catney (2014) argued that this socalled counterurbanisation occurs because of the lesser importance among older than younger people of living close to the urban employment centres.…”

Do earnings by college major affect graduate migration?

“…This higher mobility appears to be at least partially attributable to greater responsiveness to job opportunities in other areas and greater demand for location-specific amenities (Adamson, Clark, and Partridge 2004;Chen and Rosenthal 2008;Whisler et al 2008;Wozniak 2010;Brown and Scott 2012;Arntz, Gregory, and Lehmer 2014;Zheng 2015). …”