Consensus has been identified as a dimension of family solidarity with important implications for the family network. To investigate the factors contributing to consensus between older adults and their sibling of most contact, 275 adults (173 females, 102 males), with a mean age of 74 years, were interviewed using a questionnaire covering work and retirement, income, health, family, activities and roles, and subjective well being. Consensus was obtained by one global measure in which respondents rated agreement on values between self and sibling on a 9-point scale. To determine the relative importance to consensus of the sibling relationship, seven independent variables were assessed: sex linkage, residential propinquity, communication, educational disparity, helping behavior, sibling expectations, and marital status. An analysis of the results showed that filial expectations, educational disparity, and brother/sister link were the only variables of relative importance to older adult/sibling consensus. Consensus was highest when there were fewer expectations of the sibling, similarity of educational backgrounds, and when the respondent was male and his sibling was female. Brother/sister and brother/brother links, residential propinquity, communication by mail or telephone, helping behaviors, and marital status were of no relative importance to consensus. The findings suggest that factors previously found to be associated with intergenerational consensus may vary in their importance. (Author/BL)