A Research Note on: The Use of Event-History Data in Mobility Studies

Abstract

This paper examines residential mobility rates over the lifetime of households. The sample includes 404 households from the Omaha-Council Bluffs SMSA and from four, small, nonmetropolitan communities in Nebraska and Iowa.

The household history, beginning at the date of household formation, is divided into five-year segments. The mobility rate at each marriage cohort is analyzed for its relationship to previous and subsequent cohorts and number of previous moves. The results show that the older the household, the lower the mobility rate. Higher mobility rates are found within the early years of marriage. Mobility for each grouping of marriage cohorts does not change appreciably even if the number of previous moves increases. During any given period of time, where the mobility rate of young households is relatively low, the mobility rate of more established households is relatively high, and vice versa, resulting in a stable rate of mobility over forty years.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jean A. Memken

Jean A. Memken is Associate Professor, department of Home Economics, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois.

Earl W. Morris

Earl W. Morris is Professor, Department of Family Environment, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Mary Winter

Mary Winter is Professor, Department of Family Environment, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.