Older Rural Stayers and Movers: Why (Not) to Age in Place in the Countryside?

Abstract

This article aims to explore (im)mobility patterns of older adults living in small rural Iowa towns. The research questions addressed were focused on the older adults’ paths to their current place of residence, their plans regarding possible relocation in the future, as well as how these are intertwined, given the life course perspective. The data are drawn from in‐depth interviews conducted with 25 residents aged 65 years and over in four rural Iowa communities. Insights are also gained from 29 interviews with local stakeholders from these towns. The analysis shows that the great majority of older adults plan on staying put due to a mixture of mostly social, functional and biographical aspects of place attachment. However, these are more or less significant depending on older interviewees’ past mobility experiences. Only a few do not exclude relocation in the future. These outcomes provide a new perspective regarding classical models of older adults’ mobility over the life course.