Why Do People with Disabilities Move? Disability-Based Inequalities in the Residential Movement of American Householders

• In Event: The Political and Social Dimensions of Ableism and Its Impact on Everyday Life

Abstract

This paper contributes to the emerging sociological perspective on disability-based inequalities by examining patterns of residential mobility and migration among U.S. householders. Using a pooled sample of 2023-2025 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) observations, I find that householders with disabilities and householders without disabilities moved at significantly different rates within U.S states, across U.S. states, and into the United States. Results indicate the relevance of multiple disability status and gender to understanding differences in U.S. householders' residential movement rates and self-reported motivations for moving. Compared to non-disabled movers, both movers with one disability and movers with multiple disabilities were significantly less likely to report college- or employment-related reasons for moving; movers with multiple disabilities were also less likely than movers with one disability to report employment-related moves. The reverse pattern was observed for health: Movers with multiple disabilities were significantly more likely than movers with one disability and non-disabled movers to report health-related moves. While non-disabled men moved from abroad and reported employment-related moves more frequently than non-disabled women, non-disabled men were significantly less likely than non-disabled women to report housing-related moves. These gender differences were not present for those with disabilities. Men and women with disabilities generally moved similar distances and for similar reasons, but disabled women were significantly more likely than disabled men to make health-related moves. The findings suggest that differences in residential movement may reflect and exacerbate the health disparities and social inequalities experienced by people with disabilities.

Author

• Ethan M. Yoo, Rutgers University-New Brunswick