In today’s City Talk column — Where are migrants coming from? Where are they going? — I discuss some of the out- and in-migration trends along the Georgia coast according to this fascinating interactive map published by Forbes.
As I note in the piece, the data is based only on IRS data regarding individuals listed as exemptions on returns. The most recent data references the 2009 tax year. Source or destination counties are only noted on the map if there have been 10 or more in- or out-migrants.
Here are screenshots of migration into and out of Chatham County, with and without lines:
The most worrisome trend for Chatham County, which was less evident in 2009 than in previous years, is the exodus from Chatham County to Effingham and Bryan counties.
The map gives a really interesting sense of the farflung areas to and from which Savannah residents move. As long as the flux is not too one-sided (if you want to see one-sided data, go to the map and select Detroit/Wayne County), this interchange of people probably makes the local economy more vibrant.