3 ms·

Why are so many people in the USA live in individual houses rather than condominiums (apartments)? The latter is just so much more economical.

by listic 11y ago

agentdrtran 11y ago
Because there's a lot of room in the US.
jseliger 11y ago
Because zoning codes mandate it: see The Rent is Too Damn High (http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B0078XGJXO http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B0...) and The Triumph of the City (http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-City-Greatest-Invention-Healthier/dp/0143120549 http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-City-Greatest-Invention-Health...) for more. The short version is this: Property owners now have shocking amounts of control over what their neighbors do with property. Owners, especially of single-family houses, elect officials who restrict development through zoning and similar means. Height limits and parking requirements effectively mandate single, detached housing in most of the U.S. This only really got started in the 70s (see http://jakeseliger.com/2013/07/03/jane-jacobs-is-everywhere-even-when-you-dont-see-her/ http://jakeseliger.com/2013/07/03/jane-jacobs-is-everywhere-...), and it didn't get really bad until the 2000s, when the shift back to cities ran into insane urban zoning rules to produce huge affordability crises. By now, most developers who dare to build condos or apartments have to build luxury apartments: http://www.wsj.com/articles/rents-rise-faster-for-midtier-apartments-than-luxury-ones-1439769468 http://www.wsj.com/articles/rents-rise-faster-for-midtier-ap... because that's the only way to make the economics work. In the meantime, much of the population growth has shifted to Sun Belt cities in Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Florida where development is easier and/or simply sprawls more.
skwirl 11y ago
Because it's more pleasant and we have the space and money. If you want more economical, why not just have everyone live in barracks?

Why are so many people in the USA live in individual houses rather than condominiums (apartments)? The latter is just so much more economical.

by listic 11y ago

Why are so many people in the USA live in individual houses rather than condominiums (apartments)? The latter is just so much more economical.

agentdrtran 11y ago

Because there's a lot of room in the US.

jseliger 11y ago

Because zoning codes mandate it: see The Rent is Too Damn High (http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B0078XGJXO http://www.amazon.com/Rent-Too-Damn-High-Matters-ebook/dp/B0...) and The Triumph of the City (http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-City-Greatest-Invention-Healthier/dp/0143120549 http://www.amazon.com/Triumph-City-Greatest-Invention-Health...) for more. The short version is this: Property owners now have shocking amounts of control over what their neighbors do with property. Owners, especially of single-family houses, elect officials who restrict development through zoning and similar means. Height limits and parking requirements effectively mandate single, detached housing in most of the U.S. This only really got started in the 70s (see http://jakeseliger.com/2013/07/03/jane-jacobs-is-everywhere-even-when-you-dont-see-her/ http://jakeseliger.com/2013/07/03/jane-jacobs-is-everywhere-...), and it didn't get really bad until the 2000s, when the shift back to cities ran into insane urban zoning rules to produce huge affordability crises. By now, most developers who dare to build condos or apartments have to build luxury apartments: http://www.wsj.com/articles/rents-rise-faster-for-midtier-apartments-than-luxury-ones-1439769468 http://www.wsj.com/articles/rents-rise-faster-for-midtier-ap... because that's the only way to make the economics work. In the meantime, much of the population growth has shifted to Sun Belt cities in Texas, Arizona, Georgia, and Florida where development is easier and/or simply sprawls more.

skwirl 11y ago

Because it's more pleasant and we have the space and money. If you want more economical, why not just have everyone live in barracks?