Who shares? Participation in the sharing economy in the U.S.

Abstract

ABSTRACT An increasing number of goods and services are now available through peer-to-peer networks, product service systems, and redistribution markets—collectively labeled the “sharing economy.” This has implications for government in the areas of regulation and the built environment. This research explores who participates in the sharing economy based on factors such as race, density, demographics and political attitudes in the U.S. Respondents who live in urban ZIP codes are more likely to have used car sharing, bicycle sharing, couch surfing, and household goods applications. However, black individuals living in more dense areas are less likely to use some of these service categories, which may be in part to discrimination or access. Age, extraversion, and presence of children in the household are also positively associated with most applications, income, and ideology appear to be largely unrelated suggesting policy beliefs are likely not a driving factor in survey respondents’ preferences. Environmental concerns only influence who participates in carsharing.