Residential mobility to the rural and peri-urban areas: a segregative process?[Migration résidentielle vers le rural et le périurbain : un processus ségrégatif ?]

In France, migratory flows between rural and urban areas have gradually reversed over the past decades, leading to a phenomenon of counter-urbanization. Nevertheless, this migration dynamic appears contrasted and there is a socio-demographic differentiation of residential flows to rural areas. So that migrations could modify socio-demographic composition and increase inequalities between territories. The present study aims to examine the link between residential migration to rural and peri-urban areas and socio-spatial segregation. Using data from 2014 population census aggregated at the catchment area level, we analyze the impacts of territories' characteristics on migratory flows to rural and peri-urban areas. According to our econometric results, individuals are sensitive to sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhood in their places of origin and destination. First, human capital is a retention force at origin place and a pull force at destination place. Second, migrants are less attracted by rural and periurban areas with greater social heterogeneity in terms of education and this push effect is reinforced by high share of executives in the population. Third, we observe a differentiation in migratory flows according to socio-professional groups. Indeed, while social heterogeneity at origin place constitutes a retention factor for executives, it constitutes a push factor for workers and employees. Likewise, whilst migrants mainly flock to areas where median tax income is lower, when migration occurs between rural areas, the executives prefer areas with higher income level, which could lead to rural gentrification. Thus, our study suggest that residential migration towards rural and periurban areas could lead to a concentration of people with similar socio-demographic characteristics.