Gasoline Price Changes and Residential Relocation: Evidence from the American Housing Survey, 1995–2009

Guangqing Chi, Mississippi State University
Jamie Boydstun, Mississippi State University

Although a large body of literature has examined residential relocation and its influential factors, the linkage of gasoline prices to residential relocation has not yet been investigated. From our perspective, rising gasoline prices increase transportation costs, hindering accessibility to work or school for vulnerable populations especially. Our primary objective is to investigate the possible relationship of gasoline prices to residential relocation within the framework of location theory. Specifically, we conduct a time-series analysis where gasoline prices are measured in current time and as changes and moving averages in time lags. Results show that increases in gasoline prices in recent years have promoted migrants to relocate closer to work or school and public transportation, implying that higher gasoline prices could lead to centralization. This study has important implications for human settlement patterns and urban form.