Preferences for Features of Current and Future Residential Environments Among Korean Middle-Aged Adults

Abstract

This study examined differences in middle-aged adults’ preferred features of their current versus future residential environments and how these differences varied by health and social characteristics. A sample of 1,651 Korean middle-aged adults (aged 49–64) rated their preferences for each of 12 features (e.g., proximity to family/relatives, house price) regarding current and future residential environments, separately. Respondents considered “accessibility to health services” and “opportunity for leisure activities” more important for future residential environments than for current ones. Respondents with poorer health considered features that help them compensate for health decline more important, while those who contacted friends/neighbors more frequently and participated in more cultural activities considered features that help them maintain their social interactions more important for future residential environments than the past. Our findings identified middle-aged adults’ various demands for residential features after retirement, which reflect their strategic reactions to future needs for successful adaptation in later years.