Investigating the factors affecting the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants: a case study of Hangzhou in China

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants in the Chinese context. The study uses the survey data of residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants in Hangzhou. The ordered logit model is employed to examine the factors affecting the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants, a special group of the workforce in metropolitan cities of China. Unlike the previous studies of residential satisfaction of rural migrant workers in Chinese cities, we find that the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants does follow the standard patterns identified in the literature; the socio-demographic attributes such as gender, education, income, housing characteristics of size and the quality of kitchen and sanitary facilities and neighbourhood environment and location factors such as the distance to work place, accessibility to employment and other location and the availability of entertaining amenities are significant determinants of residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants. Additionally, the institutional factors such as tenancy agreement signed with landlord and lease length, which provides tenants with residential stability and security have a significant impact on residential satisfaction. This finding has policy implication of regulating the growing rental housing market in China. This finding also complements the existing research on residential satisfaction.

Highlights

• This is the first paper to analyze the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants living in a rented dwelling in China.

• The analysis finds the factors affecting the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants are different from the ones affecting rural-to-urban migrants.

• The factors affecting the residential satisfaction of new-generation migrants are socio-demographic attributes, housing characteristics and locational attributes.

• The findings have policy implication for the government and a developer to provide a satisfying dwelling to retain young talents in the city they choose to live and work.

KEYWORDS:

• Residential satisfaction
• new-generation migrants
• Chinese cities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The correlation test of the study variables is not reported here but available upon request.

2 The correlation test results are not reported here but available upon request.