Pani sent in the link to this article at the Wall Street Journal blogs about a recent study claiming that not only are renters happier than owners, they’re also less fat.
The average homeowner, however, consistently derives more pain (but no more joy) from their house and home,” writes Grace Wong Bucchianeri, an assistant professor at Wharton.
The report says that homeowners spend, on average, less time on leisure than those who don’t own homes. And the average homeowner is around 12 pounds heavier that those who rent.
The basis for the research comes from a survey of women in Franklin County, Ohio, which includes Columbus, the state capitol and Ohio’s largest city. And, interestingly, the research took place in 2005–so the recent drop-off in home prices wasn’t an issue.
The study controls for factors including household income, housing quality and health to draw it’s conclusion. The full paper is available as a PDF on the Wharton School of Business website.
