How does neighbourhood satisfaction impact relocation intentions? The mediating effects of housing costs and socioeconomic status

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Neighbourhood characteristics are well-known factors in driving residential mobility. However, the way that housing pressure and socioeconomic disparities complicate this relationship remains poorly understood. This complex relationship is especially pertinent amidst escalating inequalities in mobility access and control. Utilising a large-scale survey from Beijing, this study proposes an explanatory conceptual framework to examine how the perceived quality of the physical environment (PQPE) and the perceived quality of the social environment (PQSE) shape relocation intentions, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of housing cost acceptability and socioeconomic status (SES). The results indicate that dissatisfaction with the physical environment can deter relocation when affordable housing is available, and satisfied residents may consider moving if they face prohibitive housing costs. The impact of the PQSE on relocation intentions, primarily mediated by residential satisfaction, outweighs that of the PQPE. House tenure significantly modifies these dynamics: houseowners are more sensitive to housing burden and neighbourhood attributes, while non-houseowners are more influenced by SES and residential satisfaction. Distinct from Western contexts, the conceptual framework reveals a nuanced intermediate (im)mobility state among Beijing residents, situated between ‘forced’ and ‘voluntary’ categories. This implies that perceived socioeconomic capital constraints are underlying forces behind the trends of increasing residential segregation and gentrification.