This book examines the migration of older persons to rural retirement destinations in the United States. While the majority of older persons are residentially stable, those who migrate are disproportionately likely to move to a rural community. Moreover, with the aging of the baby boom generation, particular rural communities can expect to continue attracting older in-migrants in the future.

The book examines rural retirement migration from the older in-migrants' perspective and from the vantage point of the destination communities to which they move. This integrated micro-macro approach permits the authors to view older in-migrants as embedded in particular types of environments that facilitate and/or constrain their opportunities for productive living during older age. It also permits the examination of positive and negative effects of older in-migration for destination communities. The authors use a multiple methods approach featuring a panel survey of older in-migrants and longer-term older residents, in-depth community case studies and county-level census data analysis to produce a grounded study of population aging in the context of rural society.

The analysis examines the challenges and opportunities presented by migration at older ages both for successful aging and for community development. The book pays particular attention to the process through which older in-migrants become socially integrated in their new communities, and it contains rich detail on the social relationships they form, the nature of their civic engagement, and the positive and negative reactions they elicit from longer-term residents.

The volume concludes with a thoughtful discussion of policy lessons learned from the research, and with an examination of high priority research needs on retirement migration.

From the reviews:

"This is not just another book; it is a necessary book, the result of plentiful research and of a balancedwork project." (Environment and Planning A, 2009. Volume 41)

Reviews

From the reviews:

"David Brown and Nina Glasgow's book contributes to this discussion by analyzing the distribution and effects of retirement migration in the USA to rural regions. This is not just another book; it is a necessary book, the result of plentiful research and of a balanced work project. A valuable instrument for researchers of international retirement migration." Environment and Planning A, 2009. Volume 41

"Overall, this book is enjoyable, informative, and relevant. Rural Retirement Migration was written prior to the official onset of the current economic recession, but its findings offer key insights."

Rural Sociology, 2009. Volume 74

"The book represents a turning point in publications on rural aging. It is conceptually and methodologically sophisticated, thorough in its examination of the demographic and social issues of retirement migration, and entirely unapologetic about its focus on rural places." Contemporary Sociology, 2010, volume 39

"David L. Brown and Nina Glasgow, both sociologists at Cornell University, pose a series of questions that are ... interest to rural economic development agencies interested in attracting retiree migrants. Their book offers insights into the features of persistent rural retirement destinations, the characteristics of retiree migrants, and the economic, social, and political consequences of migration for migrants and their communities. It reveals abundant opportunities for subsequent research on these same topics." (Nancy White, Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 49 (5), December, 2009)



Book Information
ISBN 9781402068942
Author David L. Brown
Format Hardback
Page Count 222
Imprint Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Publisher Springer-Verlag New York Inc.