Changing Pattern of Retirement Counties since 1965

A refined methodology identifies retirement counties to analyze their distributions in 1970 and 1980. Some retirement counties identified in 1970 had lost this designation by 1980. In 1980, Florida counties still dominated the national map, but concentrations in mid-southern states and elsewhere displayed considerable dynamism. Migration of the elderly in the United States traditionally has been concentrated on a few destination communities. This pattern will likely change as the growth rate of elderly migrants declines and as competition for a static or declining pool of migrants intensifies.