Determinants of residential attractiveness : household demographics and socio-economic factors

Abstract

Residential relocation is based on a number of underlying reasons that affect this choice. This study attempts to examine the residents’ socio-economic status and household demographics and the factors they consider in making their residential location decision in Malta. The gathering of information through surveys and interviews involves a wide range of elements of life course changes. The stages of the lifecycle of an individual, which could be recognised through income, education and occupation are of interest to this paper. These components, which affect this choice, have been tested out to see if they emerge in real life situations. Overall, the study achieved a way in which one could start understanding housing demography and socio-economics using a number of hypotheses as part of a larger framework of housing choice, including psychographic characteristics and housing norms. The insight into these influences of residential location attributes based on the social status is of particular interest to this research.