Census: Americans Are Fleeing Big Cities (escaping high costs - and liberalism?)

Associated Press ^ | 04/20/06 | Stephen Ohlemacher

[Clemenza]

Yes, and the folks leaving NYC are BLUE COLLAR whites, Nuyoricans, and middle class blacks. The affluent are still coming thank you very much...

[Heartofsong83]

I think that was wrong to drop them from the metropolitan areas, as that makes the assessments far more difficult - and deceiving.

Immigration from other countries (mainly the third world) is the only thing sustaining these ultra-liberal cities.

[conservative in nyc]

The pre-2003 metro area counties are still included in something called the "Combined Statistical Area" for each area. But the change in terminology has made direct comparisons more difficult.

[x]

Good analysis. If someone lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania and commutes to NYC or NJ, they're still a part of the New York "region" in the wider sense, but may not be part of the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. Connecticut cities and towns also aren't included in the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island SMSA.

My guess is some people left to escape urban problems and they'll remember what they left and try to avoid recreating anything resembling it. Others weren't driven out by the same things. Seeing empty spaces will inspire them to recreate what they left behind, including all the old problems of the cities they left.

Human nature's involved, and some transplanted urbanites aren't going to adopt rural ways. Those who felt out of place in the cities and older suburbs when they left may adapt and assimilate well enough, though.

[conservative in nyc]

Believe it or not, Pike County, PA (off of I-84, which doesn't have very good mass transit connections to NYC) is included in the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, but Fairfield County, Connecticut (with a direct train line into Manhattan)is only in the Consolidated Statistical Area. And fast-growing Monroe County, PA (off of I-80, with many commuters to New Jersey and buses to NYC) isn't in either area.

There's no question that more Americans are leaving the Northeast for the South than vice versa, though. But due to net positive birthrates and foreign immigration, the Northeast is still gaining population, albeit at a much slower rate than the rest of the country. According to the census bureau, the only state estimated to have lost population from 2000-2005 is North Dakota.

[Flavius Josephus]

When I was a kid we would drive out to my Aunt & Uncles farm in rural Southern Illinois. We used to joke about how the city, St. Louis, would reach all the way out there one day. Now my cousin drives in to work in the city every day, if somebody gets hurt they lifeflight them there, they watch all the St. Louis TV stations, and sure enough, there are "exurbs" less than thirty miles away.

[Tokra]

I'd prefer Arizona or Nevada to Florida. No need to worry about hurricanes!

No - but in a few short years you'll be worrying about drinking water.

[mikethevike]

Ha ha! Thanks for the heads up!

[Dustbunny]

Hope they don't get to far out into the country. They always leave the city because they don't like so much about it, then they come to the country and attempt to push their liberal city values on us.

[Faraday]

What you say is true. It seems unlikely that the birth rate in the cities with the leading outmigration rates is especially high (perhaps excepting LA). The numbers cited are not a comparison with migration in the ninties--though your comment suggests there maybe more suburban shifting going on than would be guessed by comparison with historic data. In general the migration rates have declined in the new century. The "take home" message in the study is not what the population trend is, but how current residents are voting with their feet. Migrants decision can be affected by both positive and negative factors. The authors do not try to enumerate or assign weight to those factors.

[stephenjohnbanker]

I will try it out, thanks.

[Heartofsong83]

In the case of North Dakota, it is a combination of out-migration and virtually no immigration. Natural increases are the only thing that will sustain that population.

[pabianice]

Beautiful yard--mind my asking where it is?

A secret location deep within the Peoples Democratic Republic of Massachusetts. Freedom in MA survives much like the resistance in Europe during WW II.

[DM1]

"Wecome to NH my fellow freeper!"
Why thank you! my wife and i moved up here in 03 must say i was disappointed in the Gov/Pres votes up here. Figures we think we are moving to a Red state and it turns blue on us
ah well