Understanding Accra’s housing market: an exploratory study using user-generated data

Access to housing data in Ghana has been a challenge for researchers due to the lack of comprehensive data sources. However, the recent availability of big data sources has presented opportunities to bridge this data access gap. Using Greater Accra as a case, this study uses web scraping techniques to acquire publicly available housing data from two major E-commerce websites in Ghana and explores the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area’s (GAMA) prevailing housing market. Spatial autocorrelation statistics show clustering of high median prices in known high-class neighborhoods. Median prices in high-class neighborhoods were three to five times higher than median prices in the entire metropolis, highlighting high housing costs in high-class neighborhoods. This research highlights the high housing cost in GAMA, making it impossible for the average resident to afford to buy a house. Hence, a more inclusive housing strategy is needed to provide affordable housing options for all.