title: A note on the microeconomics of migration.
abstract: "The purpose of this note is to demonstrate in a simple model that an individual's migration from a small town to a large city may be rationalized purely by a consumption motive, rather than the motive of obtaining a higher income.  More specifically, it is shown that in a large city an individual may derive a higher utility from spending a given amount of income than in a small town."  A formal model is first developed that includes the principal forces at work and is then illustrated using a graphic example.  The theoretical and empirical issues raised are considered in the concluding section.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stahl
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior; D003710:Demography; D004467:Economics; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D007182:Income; D018803:Models, Economic; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009042:Motivation; D011153:Population; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011584:Psychology; D012106:Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Behavior; Demographic Factors; Economic Factors; Economic Model; Household Consumption; Income; Microeconomic Factors; Migration; Migration, Internal; Models, Theoretical; Motivation; Population; Population Dynamics; Psychological Factors; Research Methodology; Rural-urban Migration; Socioeconomic Factors