Snowbelt-to-Sunbelt Migration and the North-South Fertility Convergence: Exploring the Theoretical Links

This paper explores the theoretical linkages between the recent fertility convergence in the historically high-fertility South and the historically low-fertility North and the well documented Snowbelt-to-Sunbelt migration. It argues that the large scale migration likely played an important role in reducing the North-South fertility differential by homogenizing regional environments and influencing labor markets. The paper suggests that regional fertility theories need to become more sensitive to the effects of internal migration.