Journal of Labor Economics Vol. 34 No. S2 2016

Unhappy Cities

Edward L. Glaeser^1,2; Joshua D. Gottlieb^1,3; Oren Ziv^4,5,6

¹ National Bureau of Economic Research · ² Harvard University · ³ University of British Columbia · ⁴ University of Massachusetts Dartmouth · ⁵ Dartmouth College · ⁶ Michigan State University

Abstract

There are persistent differences in self-reported subjective well-being across US metropolitan areas, and residents of declining cities appear less happy than others. Yet some people continue to move to these areas, and newer residents appear to be as unhappy as longer-term residents. While historical data on happiness are limited, the available facts suggest that cities that are now declining were also unhappy in their more prosperous past. These facts support the view that individuals do not maximize happiness alone but include it in the utility function along with other arguments. People may trade off happiness against other competing objectives.

DOI

10.1086/684044

Volume

34

Issue

S2

Pages

S129-S182

Language

en

Sources

openalex crossref

Cite

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