The Effects of Health and Inequalities in Resources on Aging in Place among Older U.S. Homeowners
Minha Noh1, Jeffrey Morenoff1
1University of Michigan

Residential moves have lasting impacts on the well-being of older adults. This paper focuses on two aspects of residential mobility among older adults that have not received much attention in prior research. One is the connection between health status and moves. Some older adults experiencing health declines might move to be in more supportive/manageable living situations. Another is the role of housing market conditions, which potentially have large financial consequences for older adults who need to move. This study seeks to gain a better understanding about how health shapes older adults’ mobility, by considering the role of existing inequalities in resources and macroeconomic conditions. Using data from the 2001-2017 Panel Study of Income Dynamics (n=1,527), we conduct Cox event history analysis. The results indicate that homeowners in poor health are more likely to move in adverse housing market conditions, due to the decrease in person-environment fit.