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Economic Wellbeing and Where We Live: Accounting for Geographical Cost-of-living Differences in the US

Author

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  • Leah Beth Curran

    (School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University, 805 21st St, NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA, lcurran@gwu.edu)

  • Harold Wolman

    (School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University, 805 21st St, NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA, hwolman@gwu.edu)

  • Edward W. Hill

    (Maxine Goodman Level College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, USA, wed@urban.c.ruohio.edu)

  • Kimberly Furdell

    (School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University, 805 21st St, NW, Washington, DC, 20052, USA, kfurdell@gwu.edu)

Abstract

Regional cost-of-living differences affect the quality of life that individuals and families experience in different metropolitan areas. Yet, lack of metropolitan cost-of-living indexes has left analysts without the ability to make accurate cost-of-living adjustments to measures of economic wellbeing. This paper evaluates alternative approaches to cost-of-living measurement and then applies the ACCRA cost-of-living index to various US metropolitan area datasets, including median household income, the number of people living in poverty, and family eligibility for the Free and Reduced Price School Lunch and Head Start programmes to illustrate some of the policy impacts of adjusting economic indicators of wellbeing for geographical cost-of-living differentials.

Suggested Citation

  • Leah Beth Curran & Harold Wolman & Edward W. Hill & Kimberly Furdell, 2006. "Economic Wellbeing and Where We Live: Accounting for Geographical Cost-of-living Differences in the US," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 43(13), pages 2443-2466, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:43:y:2006:i:13:p:2443-2466
    DOI: 10.1080/00420980600970698
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. G. D'Alessio, 2018. "Well-being, the Socio-economic Context and Price Differences: the North-South Gap," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 471-498.
    2. Bishop John A. & Lee Jonathan M. & Zeager Lester A., 2018. "U.S. Income Comparisons with Regional Price Parity Adjustments," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, October.
    3. John A. Bishop & Jonathan M. Lee & Lester A. Zeager, 2017. "Incorporating spatial price adjustments in U.S. public policy analysis," Working Papers 438, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    4. Hillringhaus, Tilman & Peichl, Andreas, 2010. "Die Messung von Armut unter Berücksichtigung regional divergierender Lebenshaltungskosten und öffentlicher Leistungen," IZA Discussion Papers 5344, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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