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Effects of ethnic changes on house prices: Sydney cases

Xin Janet Ge (School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia)

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis

ISSN: 1753-8270

Article publication date: 14 February 2018

Issue publication date: 21 January 2020

406

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the factors that contribute to the changes of house prices including ethnic factors. Australia is a multicultural country with diversified ethnicities. The median price of established houses (unstratified) in Sydney has reached a new record high of $910,000 in December 2015, increasing around 58.2 per cent from March 2011 [Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2015a]. However, the prices of some suburbs have increased more than prices of others.

Design/methodology/approach

Six suburbs that represent ethnic majority originally including White, India and China will be selected as pilot studies. Hedonic regression analysis will be applied for the analysis based on 2001, 2006 and 2011 census data.

Findings

It is found that the main drivers of house prices are the dwelling physical characteristics and accessibility to convenient transportation. The level of household income also plays an important role. However, the impact of changes of ethnic on changes of prices is not significant.

Research limitations/implications

The study adds to the growing literature on the ethnicity changes on dwelling prices and is important for understanding whether some of the clusters of ethnic concentration or segregation effects property markets. This study is significant in its understanding of the main characteristics of ethnic changes of suburbs in Sydney.

Practical implications

An implication is that policy makers can attract different ethnic groups and encourage multicultural communities when they formulate housing and planning policies.

Originality/value

The relationship between ethnicity and house price appreciation is not extensively studied in Australia. This research contributes to the literature on the effects of ethnic changes on house prices and implications of policy formulation to encourage multicultural communities.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by Built Environment Design and Management (BEDM) Research Funding, School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney in November 2014.

Citation

Ge, X.J. (2019), "Effects of ethnic changes on house prices: Sydney cases", International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 96-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHMA-12-2016-0083

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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