An inquiry into the consequences of intercounty migration in the Southwestern United States

cope and method of study. The purpose of the study is to examine the consequences of intercounty migration in the Southwestern United States. Two alternative paradigms exist addressing the consequences of migration: neoclassical and cumulative causation. The neoclassical paradigm implies that migration is a force for convergence in county per capita income, but the cumulative causation paradigm implies that migration may widen differentials in intercounty per capita income. A two-tier methodology is devised to determine which paradigm is a more accurate characterization of the consequences of migration. The first tier of the methodology specifies and estimates a determinants of migration equation. The second tier of the methodology estimates a cross-sectional county per capita income growth equation to ascertain the consequences of migration.;Findings and conclusions. Three important conclusions derive from the study. First, the empirical results of the determinants of migration equation indicate that individuals with a college degree were attracted to high income counties. The results, however, were not able to determine if individuals in the less than high school, high school, and some college educational classifications were attracted to high income counties. As a result only college degree net migration is specified as an independent variable in the consequences of migration equation. Second, the study finds support for intercounty...