Using historical census microdata, we present a unique analysis of racial and gender
disparities in destination selection and an exploration of hypotheses regarding tied migration in the
historical context of the Great Migration. Black migrants were more likely to move to metropolitan
areas and central cities throughout the period, while white migrants were more likely to locate in
nonmetropolitan and farm destinations. Gender differences were largely dependent on marital status.
Consistent with the “tied-migration” thesis, married women had destination outcomes that were
similar to those of men, whereas single women had a greater propensity to reside in metropolitan
locations where economic opportunities for women were more plentiful.