An, Y., Chin, S. & Miller, R. "Growing Old in Rural America: Measuring Late Life Health and Economic Well-being."
Revise and Resubmit at The Journal of the Economics of Ageing
Abstract: We estimate well-being among older rural Americans using an expected utility framework and longitudinal data spanning nearly 30 years from the Health and Retirement Study. At age sixty, we find mean rural consumption expenditures of $24,105, a retirement probability of 53%, and a remaining life expectancy of 20.3 years for the cohort born 1931-36. When adjusting life expectancy for living in poor health, we obtain an age sixty quality adjusted life expectancy (QALE) of only 15.4 years. Our welfare metric suggests well-being among socially isolated rural residents is only 69% that of more integrated rural residents---largely driven by substantial consumption and QALE gaps. We also document substantial regional variation in rural well-being. Moreover, we find that older rural Americans are generally falling further behind older urban Americans across birth cohorts. Most of this widening gap is driven by declining relative consumption as opposed to health.
Abstract: We estimate well-being among older rural Americans using an expected utility framework and longitudinal data spanning nearly 30 years from the Health and Retirement Study. At age sixty, we find mean rural consumption expenditures of $24,105, a retirement probability of 53%, and a remaining life expectancy of 20.3 years for the cohort born 1931-36. When adjusting life expectancy for living in poor health, we obtain an age sixty quality adjusted life expectancy (QALE) of only 15.4 years. Our welfare metric suggests well-being among socially isolated rural residents is only 69% that of more integrated rural residents---largely driven by substantial consumption and QALE gaps. We also document substantial regional variation in rural well-being. Moreover, we find that older rural Americans are generally falling further behind older urban Americans across birth cohorts. Most of this widening gap is driven by declining relative consumption as opposed to health.
Work in Progress
Emotional Shocks and Complications in the Workplace, with Sayorn Chin and Sammy Zahran.
Lead Exposure and Maternal Health, with Sayorn Chin and Sammy Zahran.
Urban Heat Island and Health Outcomes.