Culture
The Mystery of Our Declining Mobility
Americans moved less than ever between 2005 and 2010 — but no one seems to know why.
Historically Americans are an extremely mobile people, but if they keep moving like they did the past five years, they may not keep that reputation for long. This month the U.S. Census released the latest migration data [PDF] from the Current Population Survey, which measures whether or not a person has moved within the past five years (via David King). The 2010 national five-year mobility rate was about 35 percent — the lowest since the Census began to collect data on the question.
Here are the five-year rates since 1970: