Exploring housing trajectories in later life and their links to demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics: the register RELOC-AGE study

TL;DR

This study explores housing patterns among older adults in Sweden and how factors like income, health, and family status influence whether they stay in their homes or relocate.

Contribution

The study identifies distinct housing trajectories among older adults and links them to demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors.

Findings

Most participants (76%) did not relocate, while 24% moved, showing eight distinct housing trajectories.

Relocation patterns were predicted by income, education, civil status changes, and health conditions.

Findings highlight the importance of socioeconomic and health factors in housing decisions in later life.

Abstract

In Sweden, most older adults continue to age in dwellings they have lived in for many years, with a small proportion relocating. Longitudinal studies examining relocation histories, especially among younger old adults and those beyond frail populations, are scarce. This study aimed to describe individuals who stayed in their homes (stayers) and those who relocated (movers) while identifying and describing the housing trajectories of the movers and how they were predicted by (recent changes in) civil status, children in the household and health characteristics in the Swedish population.

The study population consisted of 106,962 adults born in 1957 and residing in Sweden. Movers were defined as individuals who had relocated at least once during 2013–2020. Data on housing, demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics came from Swedish population registers. Based on housing type and tenure, housing trajectories were mapped using sequence and cluster analysis. We assessed the associations between the stayers and different relocation trajectories of movers and baseline demographic, socioeconomic and health conditions with the chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression.

The majority of participants did not relocate (N = 80,836; 76%). Among the movers (N = 26,136; 24%), eight housing trajectories were identified; three with relocations within the same and five transitioning into different housing types and tenures. Housing trajectories were predicted by disposable income, education, municipality type, changes in civil status and housing composition, as well as physical and mental health.

The current study adds understanding of relocation trajectories as younger-old adults approach later life. Future research should consider adopting a life course perspective and a longer follow-up period to examine housing histories within different cultural and temporal contexts.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-25920-1.

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