Where to live
Where you choose to live in relation to family and work, including living near one set of grandparents or having relatives move closer.
Should we live near family?
In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Near her family; Near his; Near work, visit often; Relatives move closer or a multigenerational home. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: during pregnancy.
- Evidence
- Your call
- Best settled
- During pregnancy
- Part of
- The family system
Where to live: what are the options?
Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.
1. Near her family
You live close to the mother's family.
2. Near his
You live close to the father's family.
3. Near work, visit often
You live where the jobs are and travel to see family.
4. Relatives move closer or a multigenerational home
Relatives move near you, or several generations share one home.
Where to live: what does the evidence say?
Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.
No sourced data
What else is worth knowing?
Living near family can mean help with childcare and closer ties. Work, cost and each partner's wishes may point elsewhere. This is often a compromise between two families.
Questions to ask each other
- How close do we each want to be to family?
- What are we willing to move for?
- How would we feel about a grandparent moving in?
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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.