Housing Realities: Multivariate Insights into Housing, Income, and Perception in Cornwall
Authors: Amina Ghezal and Malcolm Williams
- Older owner-occupiers are more likely to have higher incomes, jobs, and housing satisfaction; social renters face more affordability issues.
- Cornish-identified residents and those in post-industrial areas report worse economic and environmental outcomes.
- Three resident clusters reveal deep divides in affordability, transport reliance, and housing conditions, not solved by new housing alone.
This advanced analysis builds on the main findings of the Cornwall Household Survey by applying multivariate techniques to explore deeper patterns in housing, income, employment, and perceptions across the region. Using Binary Logistic Regression (BLR), Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR), and Cluster Analysis (CA), the report identifies key structural predictors of affordability, work patterns, and satisfaction with housing and the local environment. Tenure and household age structure consistently emerged as the strongest predictors across all models. Owner-occupiers were significantly more likely to report higher incomes, full-time employment, and satisfaction with housing and neighbourhood features. In contrast, social renters and residents of post-industrial areas were more likely to experience affordability constraints, car dependence, and dissatisfaction with environmental quality.
The cluster analysis grouped households into three distinct profiles, reflecting different combinations of affordability, transport reliance, and property characteristics. These clusters provided a broader context for understanding how individual factors intersect to shape housing outcomes. Overall, the advanced analysis confirms that while new housing offers benefits, it does not inherently resolve underlying structural inequalities. These findings reinforce the need for equitable housing strategies that address affordability, transport access, and local identity across all tenures and communities in Cornwall.