The Longevity Benefits of Homeownership: Evidence From Early Twentieth-Century U.S. Male Birth Cohorts.
Abstract
Owning a home has long been touted as a key component of the idealized "American Dream." Homeownership is associated with greater wealth and better health, but the causal impact of homeownership on health remains unclear. Using linked complete-count census and Social Security mortality records, I document Black-White disparities in homeownership rates and produce the first U.S.-based estimates of the association between homeownership in early adulthood and longevity. I then use a sibling-based identification strategy to estimate the causal effect of homeownership on longevity for cohorts born in the first two decades of the twentieth century. The results indicate that homeownership has a significant positive impact on longevity, which I estimate at approximately 4 months.
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Research summary
The paper explores the association between homeownership and longevity, which is relevant to longevity research as it examines factors that may influence lifespan. However, the findings suggest a modest impact of homeownership on longevity (approximately 4 months), indicating that while the research contributes to understanding social determinants of health, it does not present groundbreaking insights or solutions to the root causes of aging. Thus, it is a solid piece of research but with limited overall impact on the field.
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