Dynamics of the U.S. Interstate Migration System, 1975-1992

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Abstract
This note is an empirical study that further develops existing analysis by McHugh and Gober published in this journal (1992). The note follows McHugh and Gober by using annual state-to-state migration flow data from Internal Revenue Service records and measures of migration efficiency in analyzing the U.S. interstate migration system. It extends the analysis to a longer period, however-1975 to 1992. This note enhances McHugh and Gober's analysis by extending our knowledge of changes in U.S. migration patterns into the 1990s. But it also suggests modifications to some of their conclusions. First, the note concludes that the emergence of a new pattern of population redistribution in the U.S. in the 1980s, as reported by McHugh and Gober, was indeed significant, but that it was transitory. Second, the note's analysis does not support McHugh and Gober's conclusion of a fairly strong inverse relationship between migration effectiveness and economic expansions and contractions.