Personality predicts migration within and between U.S. states

We examined the role of personality in predicting the propensity to migrate within and between U.S. states. The participants were from the national Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS; n = 3760). Personality traits of the Five Factor Model were used to predict the probability of migrating within and between U.S. states during a follow-up period of 7–11 years. High openness and low agreeableness increased within- and between-states migration, while high extraversion increased within- but not between-states migration. Conscientiousness and neuroticism were not related to migration probability. Personality traits correlated with neighborhood satisfaction, but this did not account for the association between personality and migration propensity. The findings suggest that personality may influence migration patterns in the United States.