From Urban Dwellers to Rural Residents: Housing, Employment, and Integration Challenges of Urban-to-Rural Migrants

Abstract

This review article examines the phenomenon of urban-to-rural migration, with a special focus on the post-migration experiences of individuals who relocated from urban centers to rural areas. Employing a systematic literature review methodology, the study analyzes 154 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases, synthesizing findings across various migrant types, including lifestyle migrants, return migrants, retirement migrants, amenity migrants, second-home owners, neo-peasants and rural gentrifiers. Two key dimensions of after-migration experiences were analyzed: (i) housing and employment challenges and (ii) initial adaptation processes and emerging patterns of everyday life experiences. The findings highlight the varied strategies migrants employ to secure housing and employment, the challenges they face in adapting to rural environments, and how they establish new everyday lives. By examining diverse migrant experiences, this review aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted nature of urban-to-rural migration, contribute to the growing literature on rural in-migration, and offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners involved in rural development and migration studies.