Is religion an inferior good? Evidence from fluctuations in housing wealth

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2024
Volume: 217
Issue: C
Pages: 705-725

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

An increase in local house prices in the US is associated with a decrease in the time homeowners spend on religious activities compared to renters. Notably, this effect is not observed in volunteering and civic activities. The decline in religious activities is more pronounced for credit-constrained households. The main result is attributed to a wealth effect, whereby activities that have an inferior-good component decline with housing wealth, and to a substitution effect whereby the attractiveness of activities linked to the residential asset increases during housing booms.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:217:y:2024:i:c:p:705-725
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25