Unconquerable? Homeownership and Local Political Participation

Abstract

Since the New Deal, homeownership has been a national economic goal and a way to give citizens a stake in society. While homeownership’s long-term material benefits are well-documented, its civic virtues are more difficult to disentangle, though evidence of the strong influence homeowners wield in local politics is growing. Combining a diverse set of data sources — including 2018 American Community Survey five-year data, county-level administrative voter data in Ohio, and the Zillow Home Value Index — this paper finds a statistically significant relationship between a county’s rate of homeownership and turnout in countywide ballot measure contests. A one percentage point increase in homeownership is associated with a 0.79 percentage point increase in turnout after controlling for average property values, residential stability, and other county-level variables.