@unpublished{theses_frw4728, title = {Proximity to public schools and house prices: insights from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania}, author = {Daan Bosman}, year = {2024}, url = {https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4728/}, abstract = {This study utilizes datasets from the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center to examine the relationship between house prices and distance from the nearest public school within the same school district in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Employing the hedonic model, the analysis reveals a significant negative relationship: on average, each kilometer further from the nearest public school within the same school district corresponds to a 2.9\% decrease in house prices, ceteris paribus. Moreover, the impact of proximity varies across different distances, with the initial net effect being positive, peaking at a moderate distance before gradually diminishing with increasing distance. Additionally, this study employs the Chow test to explore spatial heterogeneity in the relationship across urban, suburban, and semi-rural areas, revealing significant variations in the relationship across these contexts. While urban areas experience the most substantial decrease in house prices (14.0\%), suburban areas experience more modest decreases (1.2\%). However, the results from semi-rural areas are insignificant (0.8\%). Overall, this study provides insights into the relationship between house prices and public-school proximity, thereby guiding more informed and strategic decision-making processes.} }