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New sports facilities do not drive migration between US cities

Author

Listed:
  • Imran Arif

    (Appalachian State University)

  • Adam Hoffer

    (University of Wisconsin—La Crosse)

  • Brad Humphreys

    (West Virginia University)

  • Matthew Style

    (University of Wisconsin—La Crosse)

Abstract

Migrants play a vital role in economic development, and city amenities play an important role in attracting migrants. This paper explores the role of one such amenity—major league sports stadiums—plays in intra-U.S. migration decisions. We use Internal Revenue Service tax-filing data and stadium construction data for major sports stadiums between 1991 and 2014 to create an unbalanced panel of migration flows between 439,386 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) pairs. Analyzing migration patterns over various time windows following the construction of new sports facilities, we find little evidence that new sports facility construction or the aggregate expenditures on new sports stadiums draw migrants between U.S. MSAs. We find weak evidence that suggests stadium construction acts as a deterrent to migration. Our primary conclusion is that spending on stadiums is not only ineffective in attracting migrants, but the opportunity cost associated with stadium construction likely reduces the ability of MSAs to attract migrants through the provision of other amenities or public goods.

Suggested Citation

  • Imran Arif & Adam Hoffer & Brad Humphreys & Matthew Style, 2022. "New sports facilities do not drive migration between US cities," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 195-217, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ecogov:v:23:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10101-022-00271-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10101-022-00271-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Craig A. Depken & Adam J. Hoffer & Abdul H. Kidwai, 2022. "An artefactual field experiment of group discrimination between sports fans," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 411-432, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Migration; Sports subsidies; Crony capitalism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • R28 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Government Policy
    • Z28 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - Policy

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