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Small Homes, Public Schools, and Property Tax Capitalization

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  • Ryan M. Gallagher
  • Haydar Kurban
  • Joseph J. Persky

Abstract

Efforts to estimate the degree to which local property taxes are capitalized into house values are complicated by any spurious correlation between property taxes and unobserved public services. One public service of particular interest is the provision of local public schools. Not only do public schools bulk large in the local property tax bill, but the inherent difficulty in measuring school quality has potentially undermined earlier attempts at achieving unbiased estimates of property tax capitalization. This particular problem has been of special concern since Oates� (1969) seminal paper. We sidestep the problem of omitted or misspecified measures of school quality by focusing on a segment of the housing market that likely places little-to-no value on school quality: small homes. Because few households residing in small homes have public school children, we anticipate that variations in their value does not account for differentials in public school quality. Using restricted-access microdata provided by the U.S. Census, and a quasi- experimental identification strategy, we estimate that local property taxes are nearly fully capitalized into the prices of small homes.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryan M. Gallagher & Haydar Kurban & Joseph J. Persky, 2013. "Small Homes, Public Schools, and Property Tax Capitalization," Working Papers 13-04, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:13-04
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. François Geerolf & Thomas Grjebine, 2018. "Property Tax Shocks and Macroeconomics," Working Papers 2018-03, CEPII research center.
    5. George R. Zodrow, 2019. "Intrajurisdictional Capitalization and the Incidence of the Property Tax," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: George R Zodrow (ed.), TAXATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE Selected Essays of George R. Zodrow, chapter 16, pages 489-522, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Munro, Kirstin & Tolley, George, 2018. "Property values and tax rates near spent nuclear fuel storage," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 433-442.
    7. Livy, Mitchell R., 2018. "Intra-school district capitalization of property tax rates," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 227-236.
    8. Hodge, Timothy R. & Komarek, Timothy M., 2016. "Capitalizing on Neighborhood Enterprise Zones: Are Detroit residents paying for the NEZ Homestead exemption?," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 18-25.
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    10. Essi Eerola, 2019. "Macroprudential Measures and Taxation in the Housing Markets," EconPol Policy Brief 17, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
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    12. Andrew Hanson, 2021. "Taxes and Economic Development: An Update on the State of the Economics Literature," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 35(3), pages 232-253, August.
    13. Brasington, David M. & Parent, Olivier, 2024. "Fire protection services and house prices: A regression discontinuity investigation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
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    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies

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