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Parental demand for school quality: Evidence from apartments in Seoul

Author

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  • Kim, Bumhwan
  • Lee, Jungmin

Abstract

In Seoul, South Korea, middle school assignment depends on residential proximity within school districts, allowing parents to increase the probability of their child attending a preferred school by living nearby. Exploiting the institutional feature, we examine whether housing prices capitalize on school quality. Using administrative data on about half a million apartment transactions, we implement a boundary fixed effects approach that compares housing prices in narrowly defined neighborhoods along the boundaries between two adjacent school districts. We find that apartment prices are higher near middle schools that had stronger high school admission outcomes in the previous years. Our findings suggest that parents place significant value on academic strength as a key aspect of school quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Bumhwan & Lee, Jungmin, 2026. "Parental demand for school quality: Evidence from apartments in Seoul," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhouse:v:72:y:2026:i:c:s1051137726000227
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhe.2026.102141
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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