A hedonic approach to burial plot value in French cemeteries

Abstract

Cemeteries are typical urban fixtures occupying a vast portion – at least 0.5% – of municipal territories. However, urban economists have generally neglected this topic to date. Our paper establishes the main determinants of pricing for burial plots, excluding columbaria. We analyse the prices proposed by 185 cemeteries from 42 large French cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. We use a specified Ln-Ln hedonistic model. Our results highlight the complexity of cities’ pricing, as these strategies imply the combination of several determinants, such as the main features of the burial concessions (term, surface area, location within the boundaries of the cemetery, etc.), the environment defined within and outside the cemetery (type of cemetery, cemetery’s surface area, existence of verdant areas, etc.) and various other urban features (population structure, real estate prices, purchasing power).