This report provides detailed statistics on the geographic mobility of Americans for the three 12-month periods between March 1987 and March 1990. The data were collected in the March Current Population Surveys (CPS) of 1988, 1989 and 1990. Mobility status is determined by asking respondents if they were living in the same residence (house or apartment) one year earlier; for persons who changed residence, additional questions are asked to identify county and city of residence one year earlier.

The mobility data for March 1988 and later years reflect a new computer processing system. The processing system was rewritten to incorporate new imputation and weighting procedures as well as some other changes; the new system is discussed more fully in Current Population Report, Series P-60, No. 166, Money Income and Poverty Status in the United States: 1988. The new processing system affected some of the mobility estimates but did not have any statistically significant impact on the number or rate of movers.

The tables in this report have been redesigned and expanded since the last mobility report. The new table package is included in its entirety for March 1989-90 data, whereas a selection of tables are shown for March 1988-89 and March 1987-88.