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How Does Satisfaction Affect Migration Patterns Within The United States (2006-2009), Michael Jacobson

Honors Theses

This paper investigates whether or not aggregate state satisfaction plays a significant role in the movement of people across state borders. A person’s decision on whether to migrate or not depends on the anticipated utility of the origin state compared to that of the destination state. If the utility of the destination state is greater than the utility of the origin state, the person will relocate, and if the utility of the destination state is lower than the utility of the origin state, the person will not relocate. Utility includes both monetary and non-monetary costs and benefits. The monetary utility …