How family networks drive residential location choices: Evidence from a stated preference field experiment in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

This research quantifies the relative importance of proximity to extended family networks in the stated residential location choices of Bogotá‘s low-to-middle-income residents by applying a conditional logistic regression model and using data from an original choice experiment. I find that the surveyed individuals prefer living near their extended family and, on average, prioritise it more than accessibility to the central business district. Those who have relied on help from extended family members in a personal or economic crisis situation have a stronger preference for living near extended family compared with those who have not, as do those who are able to rely on extended family ties for childcare assistance.