AbstractThe number of older persons living in Adelaide's middle and inner suburbs increased significantly between 1971 and 1981. Siumultaneously, many inner suburbs experienced a decline in the number of older residents, though old people continued to make up a large proportion of their total populations and the inner areas commanded a disproportionate share of resources for the aged. This paper examines, with the aid of two local case studies, the nature and causes of these changes, and analyses their policy implications.