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Immigration and the pursuit of amenities

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  • David Albouy
  • Heepyung Cho
  • Mariya Shappo

Abstract

Immigrants to the United States live disproportionately in metropolitan areas where nominal wages are high, but real wages are low. This sorting behavior may be due to preferences toward certain quality‐of‐life amenities. Relative to U.S.‐born inter‐state migrants, immigrants accept lower real wages to locate in cities that are coastal, larger, and offer deeper immigrant networks. They sort toward cities that are hillier and also larger and networked. Immigrants come more from coastal, cloudy, and safer countries—conditional on income and distance. They choose cities that resemble their origin in terms of winter temperature, safety, and coastal proximity.

Suggested Citation

  • David Albouy & Heepyung Cho & Mariya Shappo, 2021. "Immigration and the pursuit of amenities," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 5-29, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jregsc:v:61:y:2021:i:1:p:5-29
    DOI: 10.1111/jors.12475
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    Cited by:

    1. Heepyung Cho, 2022. "Border enforcement and the sorting and commuting patterns of Hispanics," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(4), pages 938-960, September.
    2. David M. Brasington, 2022. "Local economic growth and local government investment in parks and recreation, or five cheese pizzas for $2.6 million," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 81-95, January.
    3. Kerstin Mitterbacher, 2021. "Motives for economic migration: a review," Working Paper Series, Social and Economic Sciences 2021-07, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Karl-Franzens-University Graz.
    4. Obolensky, Marguerite & Tabellini, Marco & Taylor, Charles A., 2024. "Homeward Bound: How Migrants Seek Out Familiar Climates," IZA Discussion Papers 16710, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Curtis Lockwood Reynolds & Amanda L. Weinstein, 2021. "Gender differences in quality of life and preferences for location‐specific amenities across cities," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(5), pages 916-943, November.
    6. Marguerite Obolensky & Marco Tabellini & Charles Taylor, 2024. "Homeward Bound: How Migrants Seek Out Familiar Climates," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2401, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    7. Imran Arif & Adam Hoffer & Brad Humphreys & Matthew Style, 2022. "New sports facilities do not drive migration between US cities," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 195-217, December.

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