Examining the relationship between urban to rural migrants and household income, 2,118 respondents representing urban and rural populations stratified across different labor markets within 8 counties in the northeastern Coastal Plains of North Carolina were surveyed. The variables employed were: households by race, female head, absence of 1974 earnings, and head not working; age and education of male or female head; earnings; and gross income. Variations in industry of work and occupations were also examined. Results indicated: households migrating into a small rural area had higher average household incomes than nonmigrant households; migrant households were headed by persons who were both younger and more educated than nonmigrant household heads on the average; migrant households had 15% less income in 1974 than nonmigrant households holding age, education, and other characteristics constant; over 8% (N=177) of the surveyed households were classified as migrant; almost 39% of the migrant households were considered return migrants; 60% of the nonmigrant households were white vs 85% of the in-migrant households; a larger percentage of nonmigrant households were headed by a female, had no work earnings, and had a household head that was not in the 1974 work force; more new migrants were white; migrant earnings and gross income levels were higher than nonmigrant households' and new migrant households' income was higher than return migrant households'. (JC)