A Comparative Study of Housing and Neighborhood Satisfaction between Korea and the US

Abstract

What determines the similarities or differences of residential satisfaction? Because of the perceptive nature of residential satisfaction and actual differences in residential quality, individuals from diverse ranges of social backgrounds and stages of life have varying degrees of residential needs. The main objective of the present study is to show the differences in residential satisfaction and its determinants between Korea and the US. The present study seeks to find determinants of residential satisfaction incorporating epistemological differences as a means to differentiate residential satisfaction, particularly among societies from different cultures. We collected data from Korea(Social Statistical Survey) and the US (American Housing Survey) and applied ordered probit model to test housing and neighborhood satisfaction for both countries. We found that higher level of housing satisfaction is correlated with greater neighborhood satisfaction in both countries. Regarding housing satisfaction, married, older homeowners and people in multi-family housing expressed more satisfied feelings than their counterparts in both countries did. However, the results of neighborhood satisfaction are not consistent with such variables as gender and education between two countries. We speculate that dissimilarity in residential satisfaction and its determinants between the two countries may bedue to the differing epistemological backgrounds of Confucianism and Pragmatism and Individualism as well as different housing market conditions between Korea and the US.