A method is provided for a data processing system configured to include multiple logical partitions, wherein resources of the system are selectively allocated among respective partitions. In the method, an entity such as a Partition Load Manager or a separate background process is used to manage resources based on locality levels. The method includes the step of evaluating the allocation of resources to each of the partitions at a particular time, in order to select a partition having at least one resource considered to be of low desirability due to its level of locality with respect to the selected partition. The method further comprises identifying each of the other partitions that has a resource matching the resource of low desirability, and determining the overall benefit to the system that would result from trading the resource of low desirability for the matching resource of each of the identified partitions. Resources are reallocated to trade the resource of low desirability for the matching resource of the identified partition that is determined to provide the greatest overall benefit for the system, provided that at least some overall system benefit will result from the reallocation.