Intermetropolitan migration and quality of life

The aim of this paper is to assess the relative importance of economic and quality of life (QOL) factors as determinants of inter-metropolitan migration in the United States. The study is based on the generalized systemic gravity model of Alonso and on data from a sample of 25 SMSAs over the period 1965-1970. "The most striking feature of the empirical results is the apparent lack of importance of origin economic and QOL factors as determinants of outmigration.... On the other hand, the empirical results suggest both economic and QOL factors to be significant determinants of inmigration."