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Estimating Quality of Life and Place with Location Theory: The McBucks Index

Author

Listed:
  • Perry Burnett

    (University of Southern Indiana)

  • Travis Brooks

    (University of Southern Indiana)

  • Patrick Bassett

    (University of Southern Indiana)

Abstract

Interest in quality of life and place (QOL) has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Traditionally, QOL across geographic areas has been measured with two approaches: objective measures based on revealed preference theory via compensating differentials and subjective or stated preference approaches. While recent work has attempted to statistically link the two approaches, this paper presents a new alternative approach to measuring QOL across geographic areas founded on location theory from the multidisciplinary field of regional science using chain store data. While highly correlated with the other two approaches, the index developed here is also easily and quickly updated and able to provide insights that are not available with the two traditional means.

Suggested Citation

  • Perry Burnett & Travis Brooks & Patrick Bassett, 2017. "Estimating Quality of Life and Place with Location Theory: The McBucks Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 134(2), pages 455-472, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:134:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1438-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1438-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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