Protecting the idyll but not the environment: Second homes, amenity migration and rural exclusion in Washington State

Researchers are beginning to take notice of amenity migration processes and their impacts in exurban areas of the U.S. Our research explores second-home owners as contributors to processes of amenity migration. Using a mixed-method approach combining spatial data and interview analyses, we investigate both the structural and behavioral aspects of amenity migration in San Juan and Okanogan counties of Washington State. Results indicate that second-home owners’ desire for privacy and escape is reflected in patterns of spatial isolation among second homes in the study area. These patterns have potentially significant ecological effects. Second-home owners also seek to protect their investments by supporting regulations which support their version of a rural idyll. Therefore, policy-makers should be wary of strategies to promote regulations which promote aesthetic rather than social and ecological function.

► We investigate structural and behavioral aspects of second-home amenity migration.
► Second-home properties are more spatially isolated than primary homes.
► Second-home owners promote regulation to preserve their ideal development aesthetic.