Social scientists have suggested that a key sociobehavioral consequence of rising inequality is intensifying market competition for advantageous positions in the opportunity structure, such as residences that afford access to high-quality public schools. We assess empirical implications of inequality-fueled positional competition theories (PCTs) by analyzing the relationships between metropolitan income inequality, households’ efforts to secure residential positions in desirable school districts, and housing consumption behavior. We assemble a unique data set, which contains longitudinal information on household finances, residences, and geographic locations from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics; information on the quality of the school attendance areas in which these households reside; and information about the local real estate market. We find that greater inequality is associated with steeper housing price premia for residences in desirable areas, more pronounced social class sorting on school quality when relocating, and greater salience of schools relative to other housing amenities in families’ housing expenditure functions. Families in high-inequality regions exhibit modestly greater willingness to pay more (relative to their own incomes) for a given improvement in school desirability. The analysis brings important empirical nuance to oft-invoked but untested theories about positional competition as a mechanism by which inequality affects behaviors, consumption, and markets.

中文翻译：

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参与：位置竞争，学校，收入不平等和住房消费

社会科学家认为，不平等现象加剧的主要社会行为后果是，市场竞争加剧，机会结构中的有利职位，例如可以进入高质量公立学校的住宅。我们通过分析城市居民收入不平等，家庭在理想学区获得居住位置的努力以及住房消费行为之间的关系，来评估不平等推动的位置竞争理论（PCT）的经验意义。我们组装了一个独特的数据集，其中包含有关收入动态小组研究的有关家庭财务，住所和地理位置的纵向信息；有关这些家庭所居住的上学区域质量的信息；以及有关当地房地产市场的信息。我们发现，更大的不平等与在理想地区居住的住房价格暴涨，搬迁时对学校质量的更明显的社会阶层分类以及学校相对于其他住房设施在家庭住房支出功能中的显着性相关。高贫地区的家庭表现出一定程度的意愿，愿意为学校的期望程度的提高付出更多（相对于自己的收入）。该分析为位置竞争作为不平等影响行为，消费和市场的一种机制而经常引用但未经检验的理论带来了重要的经验差异。相对于家庭住房支出功能中的其他住房设施，学校的知名度更高。高贫地区的家庭表现出一定程度的意愿，愿意为学校的期望程度的提高付出更多（相对于自己的收入）。该分析为位置竞争作为不平等影响行为，消费和市场的一种机制而经常引用但未经检验的理论带来了重要的经验差异。相对于家庭住房支出功能中的其他住房设施，学校的知名度更高。高贫地区的家庭表现出一定程度的意愿，愿意为学校的期望程度的提高付出更多（相对于自己的收入）。该分析为位置竞争作为不平等影响行为，消费和市场的一种机制而经常引用但未经检验的理论带来了重要的经验差异。