Geographic-Based Rent Premiums Near the University of Minnesota: A Hedonic Pricing Analysis of Student Housing
Finding affordable housing near the University of Minnesota is a challenge for many students, especially as rents continue to rise in the neighborhoods closest to campus. This project looks at how unit features, location, and neighborhood characteristics relate to the prices students face. We collected rental listings from several platforms and paired them with information on walkability, transit access, crime, and grocery availability. Using a set of hedonic pricing models, we examine whether living closer to campus actually leads to higher rents and how neighborhood amenities factor into those patterns. The goal is to better understand what drives student housing costs and how the surrounding neighborhoods shape the market.