Is the old frontier the new frontier?

[pdxtex]

Technically, the US Census closed the frontier in 1890 when they decided there was no longer a distinct line between unsettled wilderness and population centers of the east. Every platted census tract had a person in it. Id argue that massive migration to the west coast is now ending in earnest. Homes have reached prohibitive costs like New England and the population is stagnating. With droves of people now looking towards lower cost metros in the inland west and SE, what do we call this new migration pattern? Its like a boomerang. Eastern settlers went west, but now later Western generations are moving back east. I dont think its curtains for the west coast but I think its safe to say the spotlight is now on the mid Atlantic, Piedmont and Texas. Florida might be gaining people also but its about to suffer the same fate as California. Overcrowding, dangerous weather and high upkeep costs. Florida will be the next big state to "close".

[edale]

Originally Posted by pdxtex

Technically, the US Census closed the frontier in 1890 when they decided there was no longer a distinct line between unsettled wilderness and population centers of the east. Every platted census tract had a person in it. Id argue that massive migration to the west coast is now ending in earnest. Homes have reached prohibitive costs like New England and the population is stagnating. With droves of people now looking towards lower cost metros in the inland west and SE, what do we call this new migration pattern? Its like a boomerang. Eastern settlers went west, but now later Western generations are moving back east. I dont think its curtains for the west coast but I think its safe to say the spotlight is now on the mid Atlantic, Piedmont and Texas. Florida might be gaining people also but its about to suffer the same fate as California. Overcrowding, dangerous weather and high upkeep costs. Florida will be the next big state to "close".

Seems like some of the places experiencing the highest levels of growth are very frontier-like places. SLC/Utah, Denver, Boise, Phoenix/Tucson...all are growing at quite a fast rate, largely fueled by Californians leaving the state. Texas continues to grow quickly too, but I also associate it a bit with a frontier image. I'd argue people are leaving the urbanized West Coast in search of the frontier-- it's just in the interior Mountain West.

It's very rare to hear of Californians moving truly back east* to places like Michigan, Ohio, or Pennsylvania despite the much lower costs of living and better urban amenities (schools, airports, shopping, dining, etc.)

*NYC, and to a lesser extent Boston, of course, are major exceptions to this.

[pdxtex]

The great basin is definitely having an it moment. I get the feeling the high plains are as well. I think eventually people are going to start eyeing the other side of the Appalachian mountains and pay more attention to places like Kentucky or the Ohio River as Nashville gets too expensive. My girlfriends brother moved from Oregon to Knoxville. I know other west coast folks who ended up in Chattanooga too.