Have workers stopped moving to the highest-density, highest-productivity places in the
country because of a decline in the urban wage premium, or because the rent is too high?
We analyze how important these two explanations are by studying them in one and the
same empirical analysis. We find that non-college workers now effectively face a housing-
inclusive urban wage penalty, while workers with college education continue to face a
significant urban wage premium. We relate these findings to the share of native-born cross …

… 12In Table A.1 we show estimates of wages less housing costs for college and non-college
workers from Figure 2 at select points in the density distribution. The unincorporated
community of King Salmon, California is part of the low-density Eureka commuting zone (16
people per square mile), while the New York City borough of Queens in part of the highest-density
one (5,219 people per square mile). For a few examples of well-known towns and cities at
various density levels, please refer to Table A.2. …