Race Comparisons of the Household Dynamics of Older Adults

Abstract

Longitudinal studies have suggested that households are much more fluid than was once believed. Yet our understanding of changes in household composition is based on limited sets of transitions occurring across relatively long intervals. Furthermore, we know relatively little about ethnoracial variation in household dynamics. Using data from a sample of older Floridians, the authors describe race differences in longitudinal patterns of household change that occurred during four 6-month intervals. Approximately one quarter of respondents experienced some change in composition during the 24-month study. Older African Americans lived in larger and more dynamic households and were more likely to form coresident relationships with grandchildren and nonrelatives. Age, gender, marital status, and disability were also associated with the likelihood of acquiring a new household member. Findings from this research provide additional insight into the processes through which race differences in the composition of households emerge and are maintained over time.