According to a new report published by the U.S. Census, 35.9 million people (not counting children younger than one year) moved between 2012 and 2013, meaning that 11.7% of the population moved in one year. The report seeks to examine who moved where and why, and to analyze the larger implications of that data.
Forty-eight percent of those who moved listed housing reasons. For example, they wanted a better home or apartment, they sought to own a home rather than renting, or they wanted cheaper housing. Thirty percent moved for family-related reasons, and 19% moved for their jobs.
The report finds that there were many similarities in reasoning for movers between this report and the last comparable one in 1999. The three top reasons for moving have remained the same: “wanted new or better home/apartment,” “other housing reason,” and “other family reason.”
Here are some highlights of the report that we found interesting:
• Respondents with higher levels of education were more likely to move for job-related reasons
• Intracounty moves were usually housing related, while intercounty and longer distance moves tended to be job related
• More women moved than men; the Census Bureau speculates that "a plausible explanation for this difference is that there are more females in the population universe…females composed a greater percentage of the population universe than males with 51.1%."
• A greater amount of males moved for job-related reasons than did females
• Married respondents were the least likely to move for family-related reasons
• African-American respondents reported housing-related reasons for moving at the highest rate of any race
• The mover rate has declined overall in the past fifteen years, dropping from 15.9% in 1998-1999 to 11.7% in 2012-2013
Related Stories
Women in Design+Construction | May 28, 2024
Commerce Department launches Million Women in Construction Community Pledge
The U.S. Department of Commerce launched its Million Women in Construction Community Pledge this month to boost the ranks of women in construction companies. Federal investments are creating a construction boom that is increasing job opportunities for construction and trade workers.
Laboratories | May 24, 2024
The Department of Energy breaks ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center
In Princeton, N.J., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) has broken ground on the Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC), a state-of-the-art office and laboratory building. Designed and constructed by SmithGroup, the $109.7 million facility will provide space for research supporting PPPL’s expanded mission into microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences.
MFPRO+ News | May 24, 2024
Austin, Texas, outlaws windowless bedrooms
Austin, Texas will no longer allow developers to build windowless bedrooms. For at least two decades, the city had permitted developers to build thousands of windowless bedrooms.
Resiliency | May 24, 2024
As temperatures underground rise, so do risks to commercial buildings
Heat created by underground structures is increasing the risk of damage to buildings, recent studies have found. Basements, train tunnels, sewers, and other underground systems are making the ground around them warmer, which causes soil, sand, clay and silt to shift, settle, contract, and expand.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 23, 2024
The Cincinnati Open will undergo a campus-wide renovation ahead of the expanded 2025 tournament
One of the longest-running tennis tournaments in the country, the Cincinnati Open will add a 2,000-seat stadium, new courts and player center, and more greenspace to create a park-like atmosphere.
Mass Timber | May 22, 2024
3 mass timber architecture innovations
As mass timber construction evolves from the first decade of projects, we're finding an increasing variety of mass timber solutions. Here are three primary examples.
MFPRO+ News | May 21, 2024
Massachusetts governor launches advocacy group to push for more housing
Massachusetts’ Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have taken the unusual step of setting up a nonprofit to advocate for pro-housing efforts at the local level. One Commonwealth Inc., will work to provide political and financial support for local housing initiatives, a key pillar of the governor’s agenda.
Building Tech | May 21, 2024
In a world first, load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer
A Germany-based construction engineering company says it has constructed the world’s first load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer. Züblin built a new warehouse from a single 3D print for Strabag Baumaschinentechnik International in Stuttgart, Germany using a Putzmeister 3D printer.
MFPRO+ News | May 21, 2024
Baker Barrios Architects announces new leadership roles for multifamily, healthcare design
Baker Barrios Architects announced two new additions to its leadership: Chris Powers, RA, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, as Associate Principal and Director (Healthcare); and Mark Kluemper, AIA, NCARB, as Associate Principal and Technical Director (Multifamily).
MFPRO+ News | May 20, 2024
Florida condo market roiled by structural safety standards law
A Florida law enacted after the Surfside condo tower collapse is causing turmoil in the condominium market. The law, which requires buildings to meet certain structural safety standards, is forcing condo associations to assess hefty fees to make repairs on older properties. In some cases, the cost per unit runs into six figures.
