Residential satisfaction of migrants in Wenzhou, an ‘ordinary city’ of China

Abstract

Residential satisfaction is one of the main topics of recent urban studies, yet most focus on a relatively small group of cities, particularly megacities. This paper uses Wenzhou, China, as a case study to deepen our understanding of residential satisfaction in an ‘ordinary city’. Based on a survey of 435 migrants and 20 in-depth interviews in Shuangyu, Wenzhou, this study finds that most migrants are dissatisfied with the current housing conditions. Migrants who live in urban villages are more dissatisfied than those who live in factory dormitories. The factors that influence migrants' residential satisfaction in different housing types are also different. Moreover, marital status, education, income, length of residence, employment status, and housing facilities significantly affect residential satisfaction. Institutional factors and selected housing variables that are usually found to be important to residential satisfaction are not significant for migrants in Wenzhou. In contrast with other research conducted in megacities that emphasizes the importance of social attachment, we find that providing better facilities is likely the most effective way to improve residential satisfaction for migrants in Wenzhou.