Geographic Differences in Housing Prices and the Well-Being of Children and Parents

:This article contributes to the ongoing discussion about whether the official poverty measure should be adjusted for geographic differences in the cost of living (COL). Part of the support for spatial COL adjustments is the concern that the reduced purchasing power of the poor in higher-priced areas could jeopardize the health and well-being of children and parents. The results of this analysis of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its Child Development Supplement do not support this view. We find that children growing up in higher-priced housing markets appear to fare no worse than those in lower-priced markets.