Racial and ethnic stratification in the relationship between homeownership and self-rated health

Abstract

Social scientists have long demonstrated that socioeconomic resources benefit health. More recently, scholars have begun to examine the potential stratification in the health returns different groups receive for a given resource. Motivated by fundamental cause theory, this paper examines homeownership as a salient health resource with potentially stratified benefits. Homeowners have significantly greater housing quality, wealth, neighborhood quality and integration, and physical and mental health than renters. However, there are compelling theoretical reasons to expect the health advantage of homeownership to be unequally distributed across racial and ethnic groups. Analyses of the 2012 March Current Population Survey initially suggest all homeowners experience a significant health advantage. Further examination finds robust evidence for a homeowner health advantage among Whites, on par with the difference between the married and divorced. The advantage among minority households is considerably smaller, and not significant among Latinos or Asians. Conditioning on a broad array of observable characteristics, White homeowners emerge as exceptionally healthy compared to White renters and all minority groups. This leads to the unexpected finding that racial/ethnic differences in health are concentrated among homeowners. The findings demonstrate the interactive nature of racial/ethnic stratification in health through both access to and returns from socioeconomic resources.

Beyond Net Worth: Racial Differences in Wealth Portfolios and Black–White Health Inequality across the Life Course

“…Homeownership is an important example. Owning a home provides a degree of financial and psychological security (Finnigan 2014; Yilmazer et al 2015) that leads it to be the asset most people want to own before others, particularly for low-income households (Keister 2008). Historically, homeownership has been an important indicator of class status and achievement (Rossi and Weber 1996), suggesting that homeownership may be associated with health outcomes by improving both objective and subjective social standing and reducing stress.…”

“…Second, the wealth portfolios of black Americans and white Americans vary greatly (Keister 2000a; Killewald et al 2017), but it is unclear whether racial differences in wealth components contribute to black–white health gaps. Finally, there is evidence that black and white individuals receive different health returns to socioeconomic resources—including wealth (Finnigan 2014)—but it is unclear whether racial differences in the health returns to different wealth components factor into black–white health gaps.…”

How Americans Define Affordable Housing

“…Homeowners report better physical and mental health compared to renters, although this relationship may not apply to minority group homeowners (Finnigan, 2014). Homeowners experience more residential stability, greater security, higher social integration, more political involvement, greater volunteer participation, better housing and neighborhood quality, and more accumulated wealth (Aaronson, 2000;Boehm & Schlottmann, 2008;Cox, 1982;Dietz & Haurin, 2003;Ditkovsky & van Vliet, 1984;Finnigan, 2014;Rohe, Van Zandt, & McCarthy, 2002). Furthermore, homeowners report higher life satisfaction and self-esteem than their renter counterparts (Rakoff, 1977;Rossi & Weber, 2010;Tremblay & Dillman, 1983).…”

“…Compared to renters, homeowners tend to put more financial stake in their communities and neighborhoods (Aaronson, 2000). Homeowners experience more residential stability, greater security, higher social integration, more political involvement, greater volunteer participation, better housing and neighborhood quality, and more accumulated wealth (Aaronson, 2000;Boehm & Schlottmann, 2008;Cox, 1982;Dietz & Haurin, 2003;Ditkovsky & van Vliet, 1984;Finnigan, 2014;Rohe, Van Zandt, & McCarthy, 2002). Homeowners experience more residential stability, greater security, higher social integration, more political involvement, greater volunteer participation, better housing and neighborhood quality, and more accumulated wealth (Aaronson, 2000;Boehm & Schlottmann, 2008;Cox, 1982;Dietz & Haurin, 2003;Ditkovsky & van Vliet, 1984;Finnigan, 2014;Rohe, Van Zandt, & McCarthy, 2002).…”

“…Compared to renters, homeowners tend to put more financial stake in their communities and neighborhoods (Aaronson, 2000). Homeowners report better physical and mental health compared to renters, although this relationship may not apply to minority group homeowners (Finnigan, 2014). Homeowners experience more residential stability, greater security, higher social integration, more political involvement, greater volunteer participation, better housing and neighborhood quality, and more accumulated wealth (Aaronson, 2000;Boehm & Schlottmann, 2008;Cox, 1982;Dietz & Haurin, 2003;Ditkovsky & van Vliet, 1984;Finnigan, 2014;Rohe, Van Zandt, & McCarthy, 2002).…”