Elderly Migration to the Sunbelt: Seasonal Versus Permanent

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Abstract
A substantial body of research has focused on the interstate migration of elderly households to the Sunbelt. Most of this research has concentrated on permanent moves, but seasonal migration of elderly households to Sunbelt locations has become an increasingly important social phenomenon. Although some have suggested that such temporary migration serves as a precursor ofpermanent locations, recent analyses have found that such seasonal migration constitutes an alternative elderly life-style. Using 1980 census data, this study empirically examines the similarities and differences in these two types of elderly migration flows to a Sunbelt state such as Arizona. The statistical results indicate that seasonal and permanent migration are correlated in different ways to the variables usually found to be determinants of elderly migration flows and suggest the two types of elderly migration are related but separate phenomena.