Gentrification and access to housing in Mexico City during 2000 to 2022

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Mar 5;121(10):e2314455121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2314455121. Epub 2024 Feb 26.

Abstract

We conducted a spatial and temporal analysis of housing patterns in Mexico City by utilizing an extensive database of 16,000 prices for flats and houses, covering the period from 2000 to 2022. Our findings reveal a striking trend: The average housing prices have quadrupled over a 20-y period, without considering inflation. In contrast, the per capita labor income of Mexican citizens has declined relative to inflation. As a result, the average family encountered four times greater challenges in accessing housing in 2015 as compared to 2005. Furthermore, our research demonstrates that areas that have undergone significant gentrification or super-gentrification contribute to a widespread increase in land value on neighboring zones, leading to the emergence of clusters of highly expensive neighborhoods.

Keywords: Mexico City; gentrification; housing; inequality; segregation.