Location matters: Population density and carbon emissions from residential building energy use in the United States

We study how carbon emissions from U.S. housing stock change with urban location and associated population density, using data from the U.S. Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) and American Community Survey (ACS) in a mediation model to quantify direct and indirect effects of population density on carbon emissions. Urban living in the United States today is generally associated with lower levels of residential carbon emissions, with some of the more significant effects being indirect. For example, more densely populated areas are associated with decreased housing size, which in turn decreases carbon emissions. One of the largest indirect effects observed is from the prevalence of natural gas heating in urban areas. We also observe large indirect effects from the urban prevalence of attached and multi-family housing. A policy question is whether emissions-reducing housing choices could be effectively promoted in non-urban areas.