The tranquility and safety of suburban and rural areas increasingly appeal to many movers.
Economists are paying a lot of attention these days to mobility, the rate at which Americans change residences and jobs. The historically higher U.S. proclivity to pick up and move has been a driver of economic dynamism and growth, and a competitive edge vs. European and other less fluid societies.
Although Americans are moving less often than in the past, they remain the most mobile among the populations of developed countries. Again this year, some 9 percent of Americans are expected to change homes, and while the total has declined somewhat, the percentage of people moving across state lines has been stable for decades.
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