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Racial Differences in Homeownership: The Effect of Residential Location

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Listed:
  • Yongheng Deng

    (University of Southern California)

  • Stephen L. Ross

    (University of Connecticut)

  • Susan M. Wachter

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

The rate of homeownership among African-American households is considerably lower than white households in American urban areas. This paper examines whether racial differneces in residential location outcomes are among the factors that contribute to the large racial differences in homeownership rates in major US metropolitan areas. Based on the 1985 metropolitan sample of the American Housing Survey for Philadelphia, the paper does not find any evidence that existing racial differences in residential location in Philadelphia decrease the homeownership rate among African Americans. Rather, the empirical evidence suggests that African-American residential location outcomes are associated with lower than expected racial differences in homeownership. Therefore, after controlling for neighborhood, racial differences in homeownership are larger than originally believed, and the ability of racial differences in endowments to explain hoeownership differences is more limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Yongheng Deng & Stephen L. Ross & Susan M. Wachter, 2002. "Racial Differences in Homeownership: The Effect of Residential Location," Working papers 2002-05, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:uct:uconnp:2002-05
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Homeownership; Residential Location; Race; Credit Constraints; Equity Risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R21 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Housing Demand
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis

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