Migration Effects of Natural Amenities along the Urban-Rural Continuum

Guangqing Chi, Mississippi State University
David Marcouiller, University of Wisconsin at Madison

Conceptually, natural amenities are thought to be an important component of regional demographic change. This said, empirical studies often find little significance of natural amenities in influencing migration. We attribute the insignificance to the fact that natural amenities have differing effects in attracting migrants along the urban-rural continuum because natural amenities are regional-type specific. In this study we examine and compare the migration effects of natural amenities in five specific urban-rural continuum types at the minor civil division level in Wisconsin. Results of spatial analysis suggest that natural amenities do indeed have differing effects on migration along this urban-rural continuum. Overall, natural amenities have the largest effect on in-migration into rural areas adjacent to metro areas and no effect on in-migration into urban areas. The effects of natural amenities on in-migration into remote rural areas rely more on growth trends within these regions.