Nick Graetz

Nick Graetz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. His research focuses on the intersection of housing instability, health outcomes, and social inequality, with particular attention to eviction, mortality, and racial disparities.

Dr. Graetz's research interests span several critical areas in contemporary sociology and public health:

• Housing policy and eviction prevention
• Mortality disparities and health outcomes related to housing instability
• Racial inequalities in eviction and housing policies
• Immigration enforcement and its impacts on worker well-being
• Multidimensional well-being measurement at fine spatial scales
• Population-level health impacts of social policies

His recent publication portfolio demonstrates a strong focus on the connections between housing instability and health outcomes, particularly mortality. Graetz has published extensively on eviction and its health consequences, including several high-impact studies examining how eviction threats during the pandemic affected mortality rates, especially among renters. His work frequently employs large-scale datasets and sophisticated statistical methods to uncover patterns of inequality. A significant portion of his research addresses Sustainable Development Goals related to reducing inequalities and ensuring healthy lives.

Dr. Graetz currently leads two major research projects:

• Risk of eviction among college students with children (2024-2025), funded by the University of Minnesota Foundation and New America Foundation
• Examining the Impact of Pandemic Eviction Prevention Policies on Racial Inequalities in Mortality (2024-2026), funded by Yale University and NIH NINR National Institute of Nursing

His research has garnered significant attention, with multiple publications receiving substantial news coverage, social media engagement, and policy citations. The article 'The impacts of rent burden and eviction on mortality in the United States, 2000–2019' has been particularly influential, with 21 Scopus citations, 67 news mentions, and 1 policy citation.