Recession helps rein in wanderlust, study finds

Washington Post

WASHINGTON — The wanderlust that helped define the American character has been reined in by the recession and the collapse in housing prices, according to a new study showing fewer Americans changing residences than at any time since World War II.

About 12 percent of Americans moved in each of the last two years, down from 13 percent to 14 percent a year during the first part of this decade. Historical trends show a more precipitous drop. In any given year throughout the 1990s, 16 percent to 17 percent of Americans changed homes. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was one in five.

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