Social Patterning and Spatial Variation in Intergenerational Geographic Proximity in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Existing understanding of intergenerational geographic proximity remains limited owing to the complexity inherent in defining geographic proximity and insufficient attention to fine-scale spatial variation. This study focuses on children's proximity to parents, parents' proximity to adult children, and three-generational co-residence among individuals with both living parents and children, thereby capturing multiple kin relations and relational directionality. It further extends previous literature by examining finer-grained spatial variation in these measures alongside individual- and household-level differences. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, the results show that younger adults are more likely to co-reside with their parents, children, or both, as expected. Higher educational attainment is associated with greater residential distance from parents and children. South Asians tend to maintain closer intergenerational ties through co-residence or nearby residence. Spatial variation is pronounced: individuals in Northern Ireland are more likely to reside with or live near parents or adult children, whereas those in the South, such as London and the South East, are less likely to have their parents or adult children living nearby. Our findings reinforce the life course principle of linked lives, underscoring how living arrangements are interconnected across generations, and demonstrate the importance of adopting dual perspectives when examining geographic proximity within kinship dyads.