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The Value of Climate Amenities: Evidence from US Migration Decisions

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  • Paramita Sinha
  • Maureen L. Cropper

Abstract

We value climate amenities by estimating a discrete location choice model for households that changed metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) between 1995 and 2000. The utility of each MSA depends on location-specific amenities, earnings opportunities, housing costs, and the cost of moving to the MSA from the household's 1995 location. We use the estimated trade-off between wages and climate amenities to value changes in mean winter and summer temperatures. At median temperatures for 1970 to 2000, a 1°F increase in winter temperature is worth less than a 1° decrease in summer temperature; however, the reverse is true at winter temperatures below 25°F. These results imply an average welfare loss of 2.7 percent of household income in 2020 to 2050 under the B1 (climate-friendly) scenario from the special report on emissions scenarios (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2000), although some cities in the Northeast and Midwest benefit. Under the A2 (more extreme) scenario, households in 25 of 26 cities suffer an average welfare loss equal to 5 percent of income.

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  • Paramita Sinha & Maureen L. Cropper, 2013. "The Value of Climate Amenities: Evidence from US Migration Decisions," NBER Working Papers 18756, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:18756
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    1. David Albouy & Walter Graf & Ryan Kellogg & Hendrik Wolff, 2016. "Climate Amenities, Climate Change, and American Quality of Life," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 205-246.
    2. Michael Klien, 2016. "Österreich 2025 – Perspektiven einer regional differenzierten Wohnungs- und Verkehrspolitik vor dem Hintergrund des demographischen Wandels in Österreich," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 89(11), pages 799-808, November.
    3. Sinha, Paramita & Caulkins, Martha L. & Cropper, Maureen L., 2018. "Household location decisions and the value of climate amenities," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 608-637.
    4. Joshua Graff Zivin & Solomon M. Hsiang & Matthew Neidell, 2018. "Temperature and Human Capital in the Short and Long Run," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 5(1), pages 77-105.
    5. Liang Zheng, 2016. "What city amenities matter in attracting smart people?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(2), pages 309-327, June.
    6. Nicolai V. Kuminoff, 2018. "Can Understanding Spatial Equilibria Enhance Benefit Transfers for Environmental Policy Evaluation?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 69(3), pages 591-608, March.
    7. Anna Marandi & Kelly Leilani Main, 2021. "Vulnerable City, recipient city, or climate destination? Towards a typology of domestic climate migration impacts in US cities," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(3), pages 465-480, September.
    8. Benjamin Wirth, 2013. "Ranking German regions using interregional migration - What does internal migration tells us about regional well-being?," ERSA conference papers ersa13p1254, European Regional Science Association.
    9. Mr. Sebastian Acevedo Mejia & Claudio Baccianti & Mr. Mico Mrkaic & Natalija Novta & Evgenia Pugacheva & Petia Topalova, 2019. "Weather Shocks and Output in Low-Income Countries: The Role of Policies and Adaptation," IMF Working Papers 2019/178, International Monetary Fund.
    10. H. Allen Klaiber & Joshua K. Abbott & V. Kerry Smith, 2017. "Some Like It (Less) Hot: Extracting Trade-Off Measures for Physically Coupled Amenities," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(4), pages 1053-1079.
    11. Helena Meier & Katrin Rehdanz, 2017. "The amenity value of the British climate," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(5), pages 1235-1262, April.
    12. Severen, Christopher & Costello, Christopher & Deschênes, Olivier, 2018. "A Forward-Looking Ricardian Approach: Do land markets capitalize climate change forecasts?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 235-254.
    13. De la Roca, Jorge, 2017. "Selection in initial and return migration: Evidence from moves across Spanish cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 33-53.
    14. Kopmann, Angela & Rehdanz, Katrin, 2014. "Underestimated Benefits from Periphery: Internal Migration and Subjective Well-being," VfS Annual Conference 2014 (Hamburg): Evidence-based Economic Policy 100382, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Frances Sussman & Bansari Saha & Britta G. Bierwagen & Christopher P. Weaver & Will Cooper & Philip E. Morefield & John V. Thomas, 2014. "Estimates Of Changes In County-Level Housing Prices In The United States Under Scenarios Of Future Climate Change," Climate Change Economics (CCE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(03), pages 1-23.
    16. Sheldon, Tamara L. & Zhan, Crystal, 2022. "The impact of hurricanes and floods on domestic migration," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    17. Angela Faßhauer & Katrin Rehdanz, 2015. "Estimating Benefits from Regional Amenities: Internal Migration and Life Satisfaction," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 748, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    18. Lu, Jiajun, 2020. "Household residential location choice in retirement: The role of climate amenities," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects

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