title: In retirement migration, who counts? A methodological question with economic policy implications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examine the methodological and economic policy implications of three operations of retirement migration.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the traditional age-based definition of retirement migration and two retirement-based definitions, based on degree of labor-force participation and retirement income, by using the 2000 U.S. Census Public Use Microdata Sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age-based definition overestimated the number of retired migrants, although the ranking of host and donor states remained relatively stable; nevertheless, states revealed different rates of change in inmigration and outmigration and income streams declined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Retirement-based definitions are more useful and precise for those researchers considering the economic implication of retirement migration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, One University Heights, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, NC 28804-8508, USA. Haas@UNCA.edu
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: Don E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Longino
authors.forename: Eleanor P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Stoller
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Serow
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012179:Retirement / Q000191:economics*; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014481:United States