Housing Prices and Birth Outcomes: The Hidden Cost of a Home Público
Arora, Joshitha (Spring 2025)
Abstract
Housing prices are a key indicator of local economic conditions, yet their relationship with infant health remains heavily underexplored. This paper investigates how county-level fluc- tuations in housing prices from 2010 to 2018 are associated with birth outcomes. Using a two-way fixed effects model, I estimate the effect of housing prices on birthweight and gesta- tional age, as well as the probability of low birthweight and preterm birth. Results suggest that rising home values are modestly associated with increases in birthweight and gestational age and a reduced likelihood of low birthweight, with no significant effect on preterm birth. These associations vary by maternal race and local inequality levels, with stronger effects observed for Black and non-White mothers and in counties with higher income inequality. The findings highlight the potential role of housing prices as an economic determinant of birth outcomes and underscore the need for further research into the mechanisms linking local housing markets to infant health.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature and Context
Data
Methods
Results
Heterogenity analysis
Robustness
Conclusions
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