High school students who move at least once in a 12-month period are about half as likely to graduate by age 25—regardless of whether they move to a poorer or wealthier area.
“Our findings support prior research that demonstrates the strain mobility places on academic attainment after accounting for other academic risk factors,” says lead author Molly Metzger, assistant professor at the Brown School at the Washington University in St. Louis.
“Evidence suggests that mobility in adolescence hampers chances of high school graduation regardless of whether youth move to a relatively poorer or less-poor neighborhood,” she says.
“Our results suggest housing policies and programs that promote mobility must consider potentially meaningful unintended consequences for youth and families.”
