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Air Pollution and Rent Prices: Evidence from Wildfire Smoke Plumes

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Abstract

We leverage quasi-experimental wildfire smoke shocks to analyze the causal effect of air pollution (PM2.5) on rent prices, using satellite-based smoke plumes data and ambient air pollution data. Our results indicate that the rent of homes that are not directly affected by wildfires but exposed to wildfire plumes declines by about -2.4% per one standard deviation increase in PM2.5. The response of home prices is more than threefold highlighting a gap in the tolerance of poor air quality, which we find is driven by age-related differences between tenants and homeowners. We further show evidence that air pollution affects liquidity and search frictions in the rental market.

Suggested Citation

  • Luis Lopez & Nitzan Tzur-Ilan, 2025. "Air Pollution and Rent Prices: Evidence from Wildfire Smoke Plumes," Working Papers 2502, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:feddwp:99421
    DOI: 10.24149/wp2502
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Air Pollution; rental housing; house prices; wildfires;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand

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