A study was undertaken in northwestern Wisconsin in 1974 to investigate whether the population turnaround in the 19-county area was an indication of people moving according to residential preference, as might be assumed from national surveys showing desire for urban to rural migration and higher rate of population growth in nonmetropolitan areas. Interviews were conducted with 1,523 adult residents, 20% of whom were classified as recent migrants because they had lived five years or less in the current county. Migrants averaged two more years of schooling than long-term residents, had approximately the same median income, and were more or less equally divided between white collar and blue collar occupations. Data showed less than half of the migrants moved to their preferred type of place (size of place, location relative to a large city), though subgroups, particularly the young middle age group and married couples with families, had apparently moved to meet preferences. Individual preference tended to change with age, length of residence, and family status, and therefore may influence migration decisions more at certain stages in life. Further studies on the basis for preference and the relationship between preference and migration were indicated if surveys of residential preferences are to be used to set policy or predict future growth patterns. (RS)