# Where to live

**Should we live near family?**

Where you choose to live in relation to family and work, including living near one set of grandparents or having relatives move closer.

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.

- Area: Extended family and community
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: During pregnancy
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/extended-family-and-community--where-to-live

## Where to live: what are the options?

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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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=extended-family-and-community&topic=extended-family-and-community--where-to-live