Latino Interstate Migration in the United States

Over the last several decades much attention has focused on the international movement of people from Latin America to the United States. Much less attention has focused on the migration of Latinos within the United States. There are important reasons to examine the interstate movement of Latinos in this country.

This paper examines the interstate migration of Latinos during the 2011-2015 period using the American Community Survey 2011-2015 5-Year Sample. The analysis is based on the estimated 874,126 Latinos who migrated across states during the previous year. The analysis aggregates individual-level data to estimate the number of Latino out-migrants and in-migrants for each of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. These data are used to compute the net-migration for each of these areas. Further analysis are conducted on the basis of nativity status to assess similarities and differences in migration patterns across U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinos.

The results show that 37 states experienced a net in-migration (more in-migrants than out-migrants) of Latinos during the 2011-2015 period. Texas (36,486) and Florida (30,975) experienced the greatest net in-migration levels. In contrast, of the 14 states experiencing a net out-migration (more out-migrants than in-migrants) of Latinos, California (-39,879) and New York (-27,948) sustained the highest levels of out-migration of Latinos. The results also show differences between native- and foreign-born Latinos. In particular, the number of states (23) experiencing net out-migration among foreign-born Latinos is larger than the number having net out-migration among U.S.-born Latinos.

The analysis also assesses the relationship between economic and political factors and the Latino net migration rates across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for understanding the social and economic position of Latinos in the United States.