The migration rates of the young, single, and college educated have been consistently higher than those of the general population since the late 1960s. The group also has made residential choices that are different from those of the overall population, with the result that some areas have attracted young, single, college-educated migrants despite a net domestic out-migration among the general population. Among the young, those with different marital statuses (single versus married) and levels of educational attainment (college educated versus those without a bachelor’s degree) have demonstrated different migration rates and patterns.

This current report expands upon the findings of the earlier one by incorporating additional migration data from the 1970, 1980, and 1990 censuses. Placing the Census 2000 findings in historical context allows us to examine how the migration patterns of this subset of the population have changed over time. Moreover, since the publication of the earlier report, the definitions of metropolitan statistical areas have changed, and micropolitan statistical areas were introduced. (The text box “Core Based Statistical Areas” presents these concepts.) This report uses a single set of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area definitions for all four census decades, one published as of June 2003.