Measuring the influence of transit accessibility on housing and transportation expenditures in the U.S.: A propensity score matching approach

Abstract

This study quantified the extent to which transit accessibility has an impact on housing and transportation expenditures of households in the U.S. (the treatment effect). This study used propensity score matching (PSM) to construct transit station areas (TSAs) and corresponding non-TSAs with similar observed characteristics, including built environment features and socio-economic characteristics of CBGs, and then employed paired t-tests to estimate the treatment effect. This study revealed that homeowners in TSAs spent 1,595 dollars more on housing expenditures and saved 493 dollars on transportation expenditures annually compared to those in non-TSAs. Also, the annual rent costs of TSAs and non-TSAs in the U.S. were about 15,990 and 14,993 dollars, while the annual transportation costs of TSAs and non-TSAs were approximately 13,151 and 13,644 dollars. This study contributes to an understanding of how transit accessibility in the U.S. was associated with the housing and transportation affordability of locations.