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Spatial context of residential moves by elderly persons.
International Journal of Aging & Human Development
|January 1, 1977
Summary
Most elderly individuals, both black and white, move within their home county. Residential mobility does not significantly decrease until after age seventy-five, challenging assumptions about aging and relocation.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Demography
- Gerontology
Background:
- Residential mobility patterns are crucial for understanding population dynamics.
- The spatial context of elderly residential moves is under-researched.
- Existing research often assumes restricted mobility with advanced age.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the spatial context of residential moves for individuals over 45 in the U.S.
- To specifically examine relocation patterns of the 65+ population (black and white).
- To determine if residential moves become more spatially restricted with age.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive analysis of residential mobility data.
- Utilized a 15% sample of the U.S. population from the U.S. Census.
- Calculated state of birth and residential mobility statistics.
Main Results:
- The majority of elderly residential moves (black and white) occur within the same county.
- Interstate moves are relatively infrequent among the elderly.
- Most elderly individuals reside in their birth state.
- Spatially restricted moves are not evident until after age 75.
Conclusions:
- Elderly residential moves are predominantly local, occurring within the same county.
- Mobility does not significantly spatially restrict until the late stages of old age (post-75).
- Future research should focus on the spatial context of *why* elderly individuals move, not just the frequency.