August 2007         

Migration statistics report provides latest info on people coming, going

People come. People go. This seems simple enough. But the facts and figures surrounding the movement of people affect zoning, tax revenues,
workforce composition, school construction and a thousand other facets of life.

The latest statistics affecting these things are contained in the updated
edition of the Volusia County Migration Statistics Report, recently published by the county’s Department of Economic Development.

“Many consider this book of numbers required reading, especially those making decisions about roads, commercial or residential buildings, services,
elections, taxes, law enforcement or practically anything else,” said Doug
Vimmerstedt, economics research manager for the county. Vimmerstedt
compiles and publishes the report, which is loaded with interesting statistics.

Open the book to any page and you likely are to see something you
expect, and something you don’t.

Consider that in 2002, 33 people moved to Volusia County from Montgomery County, Ohio, and that the median adjusted gross income for
those newcomers to the county was $14,999. That year, 30 people from
Frederick County, Maryland, moved here with a median income of $62,499.
These statistics are among thousands of specifics behind the larger numbers, such as in-migration and out-migration.

It may be no surprise that in a typical year, 29,000 people move to Volusia County. What is not recognized as widely is the fact that 20,000 people move out. Still, with this kind of growth, there is a need in this county for 4,000 new housing units a year.

Vimmerstedt applies residential building permit information from the county and city building permit offices to determine that most of this growth is on the west side of the county.

As with tourism, when it comes to new residents, the No. 1 state sending people to Volusia County is Florida. More than 12,000 people move to Volusia County annually from other parts of the state. New York sends us
an average of 1,708 people annually. More than 600 people come from
Massachusetts, but only five Alaskans relocate to Volusia County in a typical year.

What about those Volusia residents who move out of our community?
More than half go to other locations within Florida, while 9,694 a year leave the state.

Other leading states welcoming Volusia County residents include Georgia (which attracts an average of 431 people from our county a year), North Carolina (347 a year) and New York (430 a year). By the way, in a typical year we don’t lose anyone to Alaska (although 22 of us head to Hawaii).

In addition to showing where new residents come from, and where Volusia County residents are moving to, there is much to be learned from the data
including:

• The demand for new residential housing
• The impact of construction permits
• Long-term construction-related investment and employment
• Impact on the growth of the residential workforce
• Impact on new school enrollment
• Income differentials between those moving in and those moving out
• Where new residents are likely to live
• Potential markets for economic development initiatives

The Volusia County Department of Economic Development uses the U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s Statistics of Income Division to compile the Migration Statistics Report. Hard copies of the report can be produced on request. The report is also available online.