Year of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Economics
Department or School/College
Economics
Committee Chair
Dr. Amanda Dawsey
Commitee Members
Dr. Katrina Mullan, Dr. Laurie Yung
Subject Categories
Economics
Abstract
This study examines the role that local tax revenues and spending played in migration to cities in the Intermountain West from 2011 to 2020. Decades of research on migration to the region have examined migration responses to natural amenities and socioeconomic characteristics of cities, counties, and states in the region. However, despite prior findings’ indications that local fiscal factors play as important of a part in migration decisions as local amenities do, little research has examined the role that local taxes and spending, in addition to natural amenities, have had on migration decisions in the Intermountain West. Almost 90 percent of individuals in the West live in urban areas with populations of 5,000 persons or more, making the West the most urban region of the United States (United States Census Bureau, 2022). However, the lack of research on migration to cities in the region, and the roles that city-level tax, amenities, and socioeconomic characteristics play in influencing in-migration, leaves a gap in our understanding of what draws people to cities in the region.
This study aims to address that gap in our understanding by using city tax revenue, natural amenities access, and socioeconomic characteristics to examine migration responses to city characteristics. I further examine how two different age groups—working-aged migrants, ages 18-64, and retiree-aged migrants, ages 65 and older—respond to local tax burdens and whether we see differences in their responses when we consider proximity to natural amenities. Preliminary results indicate that working-aged migrants and retirees exhibit positive, but small, migrations responses to local tax revenues and public benefits, and that proximity to natural amenities has minor impact on their moving decisions. The findings from this study can inform local planners and policymakers of the role that local taxes, spending, and amenities play in individuals’ moving decisions.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Katharine Johanna, "The Impact of Local Tax Burdens on In-Migration in the Intermountain West, 2011-2020" (2024). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12388.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12388
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© Copyright 2024 Katharine Johanna Johnson