We report nonparametrically estimated stochastic transition kernels for the evolution of the distribution of U.S. metropolitan area populations, for the period 1900 to 1990. These suggest a fair amount of uniformity in the patterns of mobility during the study period. The distribution of city size is predominantly characterized by persistence. Additional kernel estimates do not reveal any stark ... read moredifferences in intra-region mobility patterns. We characterize the nature of intra-size distribution dynamics by means of measures that do not require discretization of the city size distribution. We employ these measures to study the degree of mobility within the U.S. city size distribution and, separately, within regional and urban subsystems. We find that different regions show different degrees of intra-distribution mobility. Second-tier cities show more mobility than top-tier cities.read less
Overman, Henry G. and Yannis M. Ioannides. 2001. "Cross-Sectional Evolution of the U.S. City Size Distribution." Journal of Urban Economics 49(3): 543-566. doi:10.1006/juec.2000.2204.