Residential echoes: intergenerational transmission of residential position amid societal upheaval

This paper brings new perspectives on the intergenerational transmission of residential position by focusing on a society that has experienced a major societal upheaval. The aim is to understand whether upheaval disrupts intergenerational links or whether continuity between generations persists. We assess whether and how parental, individual, and partner characteristics shape the residential position of young people entering the housing market under such conditions. Residential position is measured by the share of neighbourhood residents with higher socioeconomic status. The study context is Estonia, which regained independence in 1991 and subsequently experienced profound economic, political, and housing-system transformations. We analysed linked census and register microdata covering 1989–2020 for individuals born between 1975 and 1984, whose residential careers unfolded after the upheaval. The findings reveal an intergenerational residential echo effect: despite large-scale transformations in the society, children’s residential position in adulthood remain closely tied to their childhood residential circumstances and to how well their parents adapted to the post-upheaval economy. Individual attainments and partner resources further reinforce access to high-SES neighbourhoods. Overall, the results demonstrate that even under systemic upheaval, residential inequalities continue to echo across generations.