Anyone who has lived in a dormitory, apartment building, or shared house knows that sounds of lovemaking are some of the most uncomfortable things to hear while trying to sleep. Since it’s hard to select apartments based on wall thickness, or on the chastity of the neighbors, the rental or purchase price is not likely to account for the quality of the sleeping experience.
Whether it be the thump of passion, a loud party upstairs, or the shriek of a siren on a nearby street, nocturnal noise adds up to one very negative market externality. These nighttime disturbances can drive families out of cities, putting pressure on public transportation and congesting highways. Yet the actual extent of the damage has rarely been quantified or discussed in public.
Using census data and analysis of an informal pricing survey of 114 users of Splitwise.com (a “share bills” app for roommates which I co-founded), I estimate that solving the loud sex problem alone would be worth $1.1-1.9 billion per year to the US market. Mitigating all unpleasant noises would represent a market of around $12 billion per year for the population we considered.
Full Story: Loud Sex Is A Billion Dollar Problem