Household Composition among the Nonmarried Elderly: A Comparison of Black and White Women

Differences in household composition between Black and White women have often been explained as resulting from differences in the resources of the two groups, particularly economic differences. A competing viewpoint holds that living arrangements reflect the cultural context within which life choices are negotiated. The purpose of this article is to assess the relative merits of these arguments. In this analysis, the extensive data available in the 1984 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation are employed. Indicators of health, kinship, income, and wealth are included in the analysis of living arrangements among Black and White women aged 55 and over. The results indicate that these resources are associated with choice of living arrangements among members of the two groups, but that Black and White women respond differently to levels of wealth and health when making decisions about household composition.