Why Some Americans Won’t Move, Even for a Higher Salary

A new study identifies powerful psychological factors that connect people to places, and that mean more to them than money.

Nearly half of Americans are rooted in the communities, willing to sacrifice substantial income and opportunity to be around people and places they love. It is of no use to tell them to abandon their community ties when the costs to their well-being are so high. This is a critical, and all too often overlooked, dimension of our geographic divide.