Neo-locality is a residential pattern in which a married couple chooses to live apart from the parents of both spouses, establishing a new and independent household in a location of their own choosing. This pattern is common in many modern, industrialised societies where there is an emphasis on individualism, independence, and the nuclear family unit. Neo-locality allows the newly married couple to establish their own rules, traditions, and lifestyle without the direct influence or oversight of either set of parents. It reflects a shift away from more traditional residential patterns like patrilocality (living with or near the husband's family) and matrilocality (living with or near the wife's family), which were more prevalent in agricultural and extended family-based societies. The rise of neo-locality is linked to factors such as increased geographic mobility, economic independence, and changing cultural norms about family life.