The U.S. Census Bureau's newly released population estimates show that "Americans have resumed the westward suburban migration of the early 21st century, before the Great Recession came crashing down."  The fastest growing metro areas in the country stretch along the Sun Belt from the Carolinas down through Texas and up into the west toward the Dakotas.


Houston, Dallas, Austin, Phoenix, Denver, and San Antonio are the cities with the highest levels of net domestic migration since 2010.  Among the nation's top 50 numerically gaining counties, 11 are located in Texas, 10 in California, and 7 in Florida.

As the New York Times points out, these migration patterns appear to be associated with a desire for good weather, affordable housing and good job opportunities. "Last year, for example, places where the average January high temperature was over 60 degrees added population at more than six times the rate of places where the average January high was below 35 degrees."



Read more:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/03/everybody-is-moving-to-texas/388775/
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-56.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/27/upshot/the-giant-retirement-community-that-explains-where-americans-are-moving.html?abt=0002&abg=1&_r=1

TeachingwithData.org resources:
State to State Migration (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3852)
Census Flows Mapper (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3844)
Net Migration Statistics (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/2980)
Percentage of the Labour Force 15 Years and Over, Who Lived in a Different Province or Territory 5 Years Ago by 2006 Census Divisions (CDs) (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/2937)
"Global Migration Patterns" Lesson Plan (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/2858)
Residential Mobility and Migration (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3120)
Migration Service Learning Plan (http://www.teachingwithdata.org/resource/3291)