Satisfaction With Local Conditions and the Intention To Move

The recent economic downturn has presented many challenges to local communities and policymakers. Foreclosed properties, job losses, and other challenges that local residents face can threaten the economic viability of local communities. Another consequence of the economic downturn is decreased government budgets, forcing policymakers to make decisions about how to allocate scarce resources effectively. When making decisions about local and regional policy, it would be useful to know how local characteristics contribute to the decisions residents make about whether to remain in a local community or to relocate. This article present maps created to investigate the relationship between residents' perceptions of local conditions and the intentions of residents to move. All maps identify the approximate locations, within ZIP Codes, of respondents who express an intention to move sometime during the next year. The four maps indicate that a summary measure of satisfaction seems to be associated with intent to move.