Business attraction policies, including economic development incentives (EDIs), are perhaps the most ubiquitous and costly economic development tools used by U.S. states and cities to facilitate growth. In this dissertation, three papers examine the impact of these policies on the welfare of residents. While the impact of incentives on geographies and local economies have been broadly examined, work has only recently begun to focus on the differential impact of business attraction and EDIs on the welfare of individuals and on equity within societies. 

The three papers investigate how growth and development from recruited firms impacts the daily lives and financial well-being of residents. Paper 1 discusses how evaluations of business attraction policies can better consider the welfare of citizens and prioritize equitable development. Paper 2 exploits a natural experiment in the site-selection process in the warehousing industry to estimate the value of job creation to residents and the opportunity costs of EDIs. Paper 3 quantifies the impacts of large incentive announcements on housing prices, a primary mechanism through which EDIs can impact inequality. 

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