Does Student Loan Debt Hinder Community Well-Being?

Abstract

How the growth in student debt is impacting the well-being of the larger community is explored using U.S. county level data. Using tax return data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) we find that higher levels of student debt tends to be associated with lower levels of community well-being. Specifically, lower rates of home ownership, higher rental market stress, lower rates of entrepreneurship and poorer health behaviors. While the decision to take on student debt is an individual decision, local communities are uniquely positioned to help students make decisions around taking on debt and repayment options.