Tied to the Land: An Analysis of Amish Migration and Community Formation

Joseph F. Donnermeyer, Ohio State University
Elizabeth Cooksey, Ohio State University

In 1900 there were approximately 5000 Amish living in North America. A century later this number had grown to over 200,000. Due to high fertility and relatively low rates of leaving the faith, the Amish population is doubling approximately every 20 years. With such rapid population growth has come both an increase in the size of Amish settlements, plus migration and the establishment of new communities. In 1990, there were 176 Amish communities in North America. Today there are more than 330 communities in the U.S. and another 12 in Ontario, Canada. In this paper we use both qualitative and quantitative information to examine recent patterns of Amish migration in the United States.