Examines and explains unexpected population trends since 1970: substantial rural and small-town growth, regional shifts to the South and West, lower birth rates, increased life expectancy, smaller household size, and population growth from immigration. Illustrates how demographic events offer classic examples of the difficulty of predicting human…

Analysis of demographic characteristics of 411 recent inmigrants to Maine, as revealed in a random mail-back questionnaire sample of persons who exchanged an out-of-state driver's license for a Maine one during July-December of 1980 or 1983, indicated that trends and relationships noted in previous studies are continuing into the 1980s. Inmigrants…

Surveys importance of economic and environmental factors in motivation of metro- and nonmetro-origin migrants relocating in 13 Kansas nonmetropolitan nonamenity turnaround counties. Finds employment-related reasons predominate, with economic characteristics of counties a significant factor. Quality of life/environmental reasons were less…

An unexpected demographic development in the United States in the 1970's was the shift of nonmetropolitan areas to net inmigration, reversing a 70-year trend. Using the 1970 definition of metropolitan, the percent of the population living in metropolitan areas fell from 69% in 1970 to 67.8% in 1978. No easily identifiable set of reasons explained…