Objective To analyze the trajectory of relocation stress among elderly residents after admission to nursing homes and to identify its influencing factors, thereby providing evidence for the development of targeted interventions to reduce relocation stress levels in the elderly.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 186 elderly residents from five nursing homes in Zhengzhou City.Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Abbreviated Mental Test （AMT）, and the Stress Response Questionnaire （SRQ） on the day of admission （T0）, and at 1 month （T1）, 3 months （T2）, and 6 months （T3） after admission.Results The relocation stress scores of the elderly residents at T0, T1, T2, and T3 were （117.42±13.84） points, （107.36±10.06） points, （91.63±10.41） points, and（ 87.22±7.72） points, respectively. The trajectory of relocation stress after admission could be classified into three groups: moderate-level decline （25.3%）, high-level decline （55.9%）, and low-level decline （18.8%）.Logistic regression analysis showed that educational level, frequency of daily communication with children or other relatives, autonomy in choosing to enter the nursing home, number of children, source of nursing home fees, and frequency of physical exercise significantly influenced the trajectory categories of relocation stress （all P＜0.05）.Conclusion There is heterogeneity in the relocation stress trajectories among elderly residents in nursing homes, which can be categorized into three distinct patterns. Individualized assessment and intervention according to trajectory category are recommended.