This paper conducts empirical research about the role of culture on internal migration in
Brazil. To do so, we deploy data from the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)
and the 2010 Brazilian Census. Against the background of the gravitational model, we adopt
the method Poisson Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood with Fixed Effects (PPMLFE) to account for
econometric issues. The results obtained provide new evidence on the influence of the migrant’s
perceptions about the push-pull factors of Brazilian municipalities. Traditionally, gravitational
models apply features such as Gross Domestic Product per capita, unemployment rate, and
population density to measure the attractiveness of cities. All in all, these insights on the
migrant’s traits and perceptions about culture pave the way to design appropriate migration
policies at the municipal level once migration supports, among others, renewal of the socioeconomic
tissue.