Regional Migration Streams to Different Parts of Florida

Southeastern Geographer Vol. XXXIII. No. 1, May 1993, pp. 110-121 THE CHANGING SOUTH REGIONAL MIGRATION STREAMS TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF FLORIDA Morton D. Winsberg Florida grew in population between 1950 and 1990 by slightly over 10 million, making it second only to California in the number of inhabitants added during that period. During the last 40 years only about 10% of the state's annual population growth has resulted from natural increase (University of Florida, 1992). Massive in-migration, however, has regularly placed a number of its counties among the fastest growing in the nation. Florida has been a magnet for migrants from throughout the United States and abroad (Bouvier and Weiler, 1992). Using the U.S. Bureau of the Census's regional division of the United States, in 1990 it was reported that the largest share came from the Northeast (32%), followed by the South (26%), the Midwest (19%), abroad (15%), and the West (8%) (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992). When the decades immediately following World War II are compared to the more recent, there has been a large increase in the share of Northeasterners in the migratory stream, and smaller increases in the share of people from abroad and the West (Table 1). There has been a large drop in the share of Southerners, and a smaller one in the share of Midwesterners. Migrants to Florida have not settled uniformly throughout the state. If the state is divided into three broad regions, North Florida, and the eastern and western half of the Peninsula, the eastern half of the Peninsula has been the most attractive destination. Given the importance of in-migrants to the population growth ofthe state, this has meant a steady redistribution ofthe state's population since 1950. In 1950 North Florida had 36% of Florida's population but only 20% in 1990. During the same period the East Peninsula's share rose from 38% to 51%, and that of the West Peninsula from 26% to 29 percent. This study seeks to examine Florida-bound migration streams arising Dr. Winsberg is Professor of Geography at Florida State University, Tallahassee , FL 32306-2050. Z O TABLE 1 SOURCE OF FLORIDA IN-MIGRANTSa (PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL IN BRACKETS) Years Northeast Midwest SouthWest Abroad 1960 369,644(30%) 308,492(25%) 422,036(34%)57,765(4%) 85,302(7%) 1970 390,961 (29%) 315,149 (23%) 363,852 (27%)91,106 (7%) 181,084 (14%) 1980 757,500(37%) 472,891(23%) 453,828(22%)117,143(6%) 238,831(12%) 1990 805,018(32%) 489,888(19%) 641,896(26%)193,811(8%) 389,868(15%) a Residence five years before the census date. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 112Southeastern Geographer in each of the four census regions of the United States (Northeast, Midwest , South and West) as well as from abroad in terms of the particular area or areas in Florida selected by each for settlement. Changes in the choice of Florida settlement destinations by these major migratory streams historically, and particularly during the past 40 years, are also reviewed. Data. Florida migration data are abundant and varied. Most, however, lack longevity, are only at the level of the state as a whole, and do not specify the place of origin of the migrant. The Florida migration data of longest duration that identify both origin of in-migrants to Florida and destination within the state are those obtained from the 5% sample levied by the U.S. Bureau of the Census during its decennial census. In each census since 1960 the Bureau has asked one person in 20 to specify his or her residence exactly five years before the day ofthe census (April 1). A serious deficiency of the data is that one is able to learn little from them about the social or economic characteristics of in-migrants. Since the 1970 Census, data have been disaggregated for blacks and Hispanics, and by age, but only on the state level. No data on the economic status of the migrant is available. The 548 places within Florida that in 1990 had a population ofat least 1000 and had a minimum of 100 inhabitants...