Sense of community and residential well-being among rural-urban migrants in China

This paper empirically investigates the relationship between residential well-being (RWB) and sense of community (SoC) among Chinese rural-urban migrants (RUMs). Using survey data from 15 migrant villages in three major urban regions of China, multiple linear regressions and simultaneous equation models are employed to analyze the contributions of socioeconomic factors, living conditions, and neighborhood conditions to SoC and RWB scores. The Hukou status significantly influences RWB scores but not SoC scores. Factors predicting both SoC and RWB include age, gender, education, homeownership, housing facilities, income, number of living rooms, problem-solving channels, and converted residences. SoC and RWB scores show a moderately strong correlation, suggesting that improving living, institutional, socioeconomic, and neighborhood conditions can enhance both for RUMs.

Ming Guan, Hongyi Guan