The social profile of rural Britain

Heather Joshi, University of London
Brian Dodgeon, University of London
Gareth Hughes, University of London

This paper examines longitudinal evidence about the relative affluence of Rural England, comparing in-movers with those still in urban areas and those who have stayed in the country. It asks: * Has migration in England generated a changing socio-demographic profile in rural areas? * Do the life courses of people who remain in particular types of rural area differ from those who move out and from those who move in? * What types of local area have the most population turnover? * What types of people, in terms of age, sex, social advantage and deprivation are more likely to be found in, stay in or move into rural areas? The paper uses data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) and the Office of National Statistics Longitudinal Study (LS) to analyse social profile geographical mobility in and out of rural areas.