• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2020

In modern society, the number of one-person households is increasing significantly. In particular, one-person households have rapidly increased around local small and medium-sized cities. This study examines the characteristics of local small and medium-sized cities by factor and cluster analysis. Analysis of variance are applied to the characteristics of one-person household in different local cities to find the relationship between different types of cities and the characteristics of one-person households. As a result of the study, local small and medium-sized cities are classified into growth stagnation cities, industrial leading cities, regional base cities, and population outflow cities. It is also found that there are several different types of local cities based on the characteristics of one-person households. The growth stagnation city is a city where the regional economy is revitalized due to the development of regional industries in the past. One-person households have a small age group in their 30s and 40s, which are the basis of industrial activities. They have a high proportion of older generation living in more than three rooms in their homes. It is necessary to supply long-term public rental housing and share houses for older generation. The leading city of the industry is a city where the local economy is revitalized as workers are concentrated. One-person households are evenly distributed among all age groups, and the apartment occupancy rate is the highest compared to other types. It is necessary to provide happy housing for youth generation and reconstruction or renovation housing of manhood generation. The regional base city leads the regional base function and the regional economy, but it has reduced workers. Many of one-person households are younger than 30 years old and college educated. They are also high rate of unmarried and live at one room as rental houses. It is needed to expand the supply of small houses such as apartments, officetels and rented houses for youth generation. The population outflow city has a slow local economy and a rural residential environment. It is found that the households of one-person households have high rate of bereavement and the age. They live more than four rooms in single-family homes. It is necessary not only to provide welfare housing but also to create a sound residential environment where cultural exchange is possible.