May 19, 2006

Sources to Consult for Migration Data

Users looking for migration data have several valuable sources to consult:

*The July 1 population estimates cited in our "Fact of the Day" above are an accurate source of data on the numbers of inmigrants and outmigrants; they show which of these were internal movers and which were international movers. However, the estimates have no data on characteristics of movers.

*For characteristics of movers (age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, etc.), users can go to annual data collected in the Current Population Survey.

*For states and smaller areas, the American Community Survey also has data on the characteristics of movers, similar to that collected in the population census. Both may be accessed in the American FactFinder.

*The Census Bureau releases substantial data on the foreign-born population from these sources, including profiles of the immigrants from specific countries. Statistics on immigration to the United States are also published by Office of Immigration Statistics (http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/index.htm), part of the Department of Homeland Security.

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