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JUE Insight: COVID-19 and household preference for urban density in China

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  • Huang, Naqun
  • Pang, Jindong
  • Yang, Yanmin

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of COVID-19 on both housing prices and housing price gradients in China using transaction level data from 60 Chinese cities. After using a difference-in-differences (DID) specification to disentangle the confounding effects of China's annual Spring Festival, we find that housing prices decreased by two percent immediately after the COVID-19 outbreak but gradually recovered by September 2020. Moreover, our findings suggest that COVID-19 flattens the horizontal housing price gradient, reduces the price premium for living in tall buildings, and changes the vertical gradient within residential buildings. This is likely explained by the changing household preferences towards low-density areas associated with lower infection risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Huang, Naqun & Pang, Jindong & Yang, Yanmin, 2023. "JUE Insight: COVID-19 and household preference for urban density in China," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:133:y:2023:i:c:s009411902200064x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2022.103487
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; Housing prices; Horizontal housing price gradient; Building height; Vertical gradient;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R30 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - General

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