What does this indicator measure?
This indicator measures residential stability in the city of Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, and the United States. Residents are categorized according to where they lived one year prior to the survey—the same house, a different house in the same county, a different county in the same state, a different state, or abroad.  The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) documents the percentage of residents in each category.  

Why is this indicator important?
Residential stability is strongly associated with the quality of life of a community.  Moreover, there is a positive association between political participation and a continuous residency (Highton, 2000).  Many studies have also concluded that high residential mobility is associated with increased levels of crime because neighbors feel isolated and newcomers lack the sense of commitment to their community that long-term residents possess. Adolescents that move often are also more likely to struggle academically, as they constantly need to adjust to new schools.

How are we doing?
According to the 2005 American Communities Survey, the percentage of city of Dallas residents living in the same house as one year prior (75.67%) was noticeably less than in Dallas County (79.75%), Texas (80.91%), and the United States (83.87%).  On the other hand, the percentage of residents in the city of Dallas living internationally one year prior almost doubles the overall percentage in the United States.  This reflects the strong international migration trends we have seen in the Dallas area over the past two decades.

While the high level of intra-county residential mobility seen in the city of Dallas (at 17.3%, nearly double the nationwide rate) may signify struggling or unstable communities, the international newcomers to Dallas provide an important stabilizing force on a population that would otherwise be in decline (see the indicator on Population growth on this topic).  The relatively high proportions of intra-county mobility in the city of Dallas and Dallas County are also indicative of a higher proportion of renters, who move more frequently, while the relatively low proportions of intra-county mobility in Collin and Denton Counties are a reflection in part of the high homeownership rates in these suburban counties.

Surprisingly, the percentage of residents having recently moved to the city of Dallas and Dallas County from out of state is lower than overall figures for Texas and the United States, somewhat dispelling the popular belief that Dallas is a Sunbelt magnet for young singles and families escaping high housing prices and costs of living in the Northeast and West.  However, we see relatively high proportions of residents of Collin and Denton Counties who have recently moved from a different state or from a different Texas county, which would suggest that Collin and Denton Counties are attractive to relocating families. 

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, American Communities Survey, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

References: Highton, B. (2000). Residential Mobility, Community Mobility, and Electoral Participation. Political Behavior. 22, 109-120.

Clear, T., Rose D., Waring E., & Scully, K. (1999). Coercive Mobility and Crime: A Preliminary Examination of Concentrated Incarceration and Social Disorganization. [unpublished paper]  Retrieved June 22, 2007 from http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/children/examples/Coercivefinal.doc.

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