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Housing Prices and Land Use Regulations: A Study of 250 Major US Cities

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  • Theo S. Eicher

    (Department of Economics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA)

Abstract

Income and population growth are key determinants of housing demand, while land use regulations are designed to affect housing supply. Previous studies of housing price determinants focus either on specific regulations in particular cities/regions, or on selective subsets of major cities and regulations. This study examines the impact of land use regulations on housing prices from 1989 to 2006 in an unusually large sample of 250 major US cities. Aside from factors that are commonly associated with housing demand (income, population growth and density), housing prices are found to be associated with local cost-increasing land use regulations (approval delays) and with statewide regulations. Since statewide regulations factor prominently into the results, specific examples of the impact of different types of land use regulations are provided for 5 cities in the state of Washington. The estimated increase in housing prices associated with regulations is, on average (over 250 cities), substantially larger than the effects of income and population growth. While the estimated dollar costs associated with regulations may be sizable at times, the results are remarkably consistent with previous studies that were based on smaller cross sections.

Suggested Citation

  • Theo S. Eicher, 2024. "Housing Prices and Land Use Regulations: A Study of 250 Major US Cities," Journal of Economic Analysis, Anser Press, vol. 3(1), pages 27-57, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bba:j00001:v:3:y:2024:i:1:p:27-57:d:151
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Summers, Lawrence H, 1981. "Inflation, the Stock Market, and Owner-Occupied Housing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(2), pages 429-434, May.
    4. James M. Poterba, 1984. "Tax Subsidies to Owner-Occupied Housing: An Asset-Market Approach," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 99(4), pages 729-752.
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    Keywords

    Housing Prices; Land Use Regulation;

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