The course of the Yellow River has undergone frequent changes, and the last diversion was in March 1947 when Huayuankou was reblocked. At present, the Yellow River in the Binzhou section of Shandong Province flows through four districts and counties. Among them, most of the villages along the Yellow River in Boxing Zouping District have been relocated. Therefore, the study mainly conducted field investigations in 33 villages along the Yellow River in Bincheng and Huimin District of Binzhou, selecting rural residential buildings built after 1947 as the research objects. Based on this, a functional demand system for rural areas along the Yellow River is constructed from the perspective of Inhabitation Theory, focusing on the evolution of residential forms in these areas. Research has found that the residential functions of rural areas along the Yellow River in the Binzhou section include three layers (survival protection layer, social life layer, and spiritual enhancement layer) and 13 main needs (rest, hygiene, disaster prevention, defense, settlement, reception, production, cooking, development, performance, entertainment, sacrifice, and ritual). According to the changes in corresponding functions and demand layers, the evolution of residential forms can be divided into three stages: basic functions from 1960 to 1980, functional expansion from 1980 to 2000, and functional improvement from 2000 to the present. Quantitative analysis shows that in the basic functional stage, survival and protection functions account for 50%. Residential buildings are mainly in the form of loess high platform, with a single functional and structural form, small volume and scattered layout, empty and low-enclosured courtyards, and weak decoration; In the stage of functional expansion, the connection between residential forms and the functional needs of social life levels has increased, and the overall impact of each layer is relatively balanced. Residential buildings are mainly in the form of brick and stone low platform quadrangle courtyards, and the living functional space and structural form have been expanded. The courtyard layout is complete and the enclosure is high, and traditional decoration techniques are diverse and rich. In the stage of functional enhancement, the influence of the spiritual enhancement layer accounts for more than 50%. Residential buildings are mainly in the form of large single or two-story buildings, with more functional spaces, clear and detailed zoning, flexible layout of auxiliary buildings, diverse building structures, and rich courtyard landscapes. Furthermore, from six aspects including the treatment of the courtyard base surface, courtyard layout, main building form, side houses and reversely-set house, structure and construction, and decoration, the evolution path of the residential form characteristics and demand driven residential form in the rural areas along the Yellow River in Binzhou at each stage is summarized, and the reasons for the evolution of residential form caused by changes in residential functional requirements are analyzed. The results show that the evolution process of residential spatial form cannot be separated from the development and changes of environment, society, and demand. Environmental safety is the foundation of social development, and social development leads to the replacement and expansion of residential functional needs, which in turn drives the renewal and evolution of residential form. These three drivers (regional environmental safety, social development, and functional transformation) progress and interact with each other, comprehensively promoting the evolution of residential form.In summary, with the implementation of a series of Yellow River controlprojects and rural construction, regional environmental security has been guaranteed, society has flourished, and the demand for residential functions has increased. The residential form of rural areas along the Yellow River in the Binzhou section has undergone changes from the inside out. Rural residential buildings have gradually evolved from single function, small and scattered loess high platform building forms to the current multi functional main houses and flexible auxiliary spaces without high platform farmhouses. From above, it can be seen that in the future renewal and development of residential areas in this region, while appropriately inheriting regional characteristics and construction wisdom, attention should also be paid to considering environmental conditions, social development, functional needs, and other aspects.