Measuring the Economic Impact of Retirement Migration: The Case of Western North Carolina

In the fall of 1989, data were collected from a sample of 814 persons who had recently moved into the western North Carolina counties surrounding Asheville. Data on expenditures and assets were collected in a log book, in which individuals were asked to record their daily expenditures in and out of their county of residence for 1 week, along with data on major purchases (residences, vehicles, and durable goods), nonrecurrent expenditures (dues, contributions, travel), and health care expenditures and use. A description and analysis of some of these data, including private and public consequences, is presented. The article concludes with a discussion of the extent to which retirement migration in this context truly represents a net economic gain to the host community.