voting With Our Feet

Joel Kotkin, one of my favorite authors and demographers, has an interesting article on his website about the rise of family-friendly cities. My blog yesterday was on the census information on which states people are moving to. Today’s is Kotkin’s analysis of why this is happening. Here are some of the highlights from his article:

· The strongest job growth has consistently taken place in those regions with the largest net in-migration of young, educated families ranging from their mid-20s to mid-40s.

· Urban centers that have been traditional favorites for young singles, such as Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, have experienced below-average job and population growth since 2000. San Francisco and Chicago lost population.

· There is a basic truth about the geography of young, educated people. They may first migrate to cities like Ney York, Los Angeles, Boston or San Francisco. But they tend to flee when they enter their child-rearing years.

· Most Americans, notes the Pew Research Center, still regard marriage as the ideal state. Upwards of 80% still marry, and the vast majority end up having children.

· The “Millennial Mainstream” generation is twice as numerous as Generation X and far more family-oriented.

· It’s time to recognize that today, as has been the case for millennia, families provide the most reliable foundation for successful economies.