Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/71692 
Year of Publication: 
2013
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 7339
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We present a hedonic framework to estimate U.S. households' preferences over local climates, using detailed weather and 2000 Census data. We find that Americans favor an average daily temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, will pay more on the margin to avoid excess heat than cold, and are not substantially more averse to extremes than to temperatures that are merely uncomfortable. These preferences vary by location due to sorting or adaptation. Changes in climate amenities under business-as-usual predictions imply annual welfare losses of 1 to 3 percent of income by 2100, holding technology and preferences constant.
Subjects: 
climate amenities
climate change
quality of life
temperature profiles
heterogeneous preferences
JEL: 
H49
I39
Q54
R10
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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