The U.S. has undergone macroeconomic changes over the latter course of the
twentieth century. As a result, migration patterns have shifted toward the fast-growing
southern and western portions of the nation. My research measures the impact of
deindustrialization and educational selection on out-migration from the metropolitan Rust
Belt for 1980, 1990, and 2000. Analysis on destination selection using multinomial
regression analysis is then conducted to determine whether education trumps social
capital for long-distance migration. Findings indicate that more severely deindustrializing
metropolitan areas have greater out-migration in 1980 and 1990 but less so for 2000, with
positive educational selection for each year. Multinomial results indicate that education
does not attenuate social capital for interregional migration destination. The rise of the
service economy may indicate the increasing importance of social capital for individuals
leaving the Rust Belt for other regions.