AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Boomtowns: Local Shocks and Inequality in 1920s California
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 112,
May 2022
(pp. 209–13)
Abstract
As the United States economy grew in the 1920s, both wealth and income inequality rose as well. California land values were especially volatile as a variety of shocks buffeted the state. This paper summarizes how these local booms affected housing inequality by linking archival data on city property values to the full count 1930 census. I first characterize the relationship between the type of shock and city property values during the 1920s. Then I relate these real estate market swings to the occupational and housing distribution within and across cities in 1930.Citation
Quincy, Sarah, and Rowena Gray. 2022. "Boomtowns: Local Shocks and Inequality in 1920s California." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 112: 209–13. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20221080Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D31 Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions
- D63 Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
- N32 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: U.S.; Canada: 1913-
- N92 Regional and Urban History: U.S.; Canada: 1913-
- R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
- R31 Housing Supply and Markets