ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on migration behavior using the individual as the unit of analysis to ascertain the direction of migration and determine whether moves occur out of economic interests. It aims to add information about migration and quality of life tradeoffs by studying differences in amenity levels across regions. The change in implicit prices may be the market's response to disequilibrium in wages and housing prices, or it may be a shift in consumer valuation of amenities. The analyses are done using a dataset constructed by combining regional data from various sources with individual data from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing. Future research will more fully develop the role of land markets in conjunction with labor markets and non-housing amenities. One limitation to an approach is that individuals or households may place different weights on the quality of life components than was used in generating the index.
