In the US, the spatial mobility of older people creates new challenges as well as opportunities for small cities and nonmetropolitan areas. As for the latter, the phenomena of retirement migration has been occurring since the... [ view full abstract ]
In the US, the spatial mobility of older people creates new challenges as well as opportunities for small cities and nonmetropolitan areas. As for the latter, the phenomena of retirement migration has been occurring since the 1970’s, the time of the rural turnaround. However, while the overall migration flow to nonmetropolitan areas weakened a decade later, the relocation of elder people to small towns and communities remains relatively stable. Various motivations and directions of resettling are associated with life-course events and transitions as well as socio-economic status and family ties of migrating elderly (Litwak and Longino 1987). Nonmetropolitan areas, especially those with appealing amenities, tend to attract retirement-age migrants. Older people tend to migrate mostly to the Sunbelt area but there are established migration streams also in other regions of the US, such as the Upper Great Lakes or North Carolina. Existing research on older migrants moving to small local communities describes them as “grey gold” (Glasgow and Brown 2008). In comparison with long-term residents, elderly newcomers are usually younger and wealthier. They stimulate the demand for housing, commercial goods and services. Elder migrants tend to boost the development of social capital at the local level due to their willingness to volunteer and lead civic activities in the community. On the other hand, older in-migration may also entail costs, such as gentrification, the increase of social inequalities, conflicts and the domination of elderly newcomers in local politics (Glasgow and Brown 2008; Sharf and Bartlam 2008).
The aim of the presentation is to contribute to the existing literature by providing a more up-to-date insight on the retirement migration to nonmetropolitan areas and small cities in the US. The following research questions will be addressed: What drives older people to move to smaller local communities when approaching the retirement age? How do they spend their time in their new communities? What are the consequences of their presence for these local communities, i.e. do the retirement migration affect in any way the areas where it occurs? If yes, in what way? The presentation is based on results of exploratory, qualitative study conducted in 2018 in Northern Michigan (Leelanau County and Traverse City) and North Carolina (Transylvania County), which are considered to be less popular (and less studied) retirement destinations in comparison with Florida or Arizona. The preliminary analysis includes secondary data and in-depth interviews with retired migrants as well as local informants (e.g. representatives of local organizations and other entities).
