RESIDENTIAL TURNOVER AND FAMILY COMPOSITION OF HOME OWNERS IN FOUR SUBDIVISIONS IN NATICA, MASSACHUSETTS

Three variables related to residential subdivisions-age of dwelling, length of residence, and age distribution of children, were studied in terms of their interrelationship. An attempt was made to determine some of the forces operating to change family composition of residents as the subdivisions age. Four subdivisions in Natick, Mass., similar in type and size of dwelling, but differing in age were studied. Replication was achieved through the analysis of two cases, each consisting of a relatively recent subdivision and one built about 15 years ago. The findings indicate that in both cases, residents of the newer subdivision have more children 0-5 years, and fewer children aged 12-17 years, than those living in the adjacent older subdivisions. As the subdivision ages the percentage of new residents decreases. Signif. diff. in the age distribution of children in the subdivisions of different ages disappear when length of residence is held constant. As the proportion of new residents falls, with the aging of the subdivision, the number of children 0-5 decreases and the number of children 12-17 increases, approximating the number of children predicted in each age group by births in the community as a whole. Such findings would seem to indicate the value of housing data for the prediction of school enrollment in such residential areas. R. J. Murphy.