Residential Segregation in Places

John Iceland, U.S. Census Bureau
Erika Steinmetz, U.S. Census Bureau

Over the past few decades, the number of Asians and Latinos in the US has increased rapidly. As the minority population as a whole continues to grow, the level of segregation among various groups becomes an increasingly important issue. While much research and attention has been placed on patterns of racial residential segregation, in metropolitan areas, racial residential segregation in “places” (also commonly referred to as towns and cities) has largely been ignored. While observing the level of racial residential segregation in a metropolitan area can give much insight into what the average minority group member experiences, looking at places both within and outside of the metropolitan area will give even greater detail and insight into where segregation is more or less concentrated – whether in the urban core, in the suburbs, or in places outside metropolitan areas altogether. This paper will provide in depth analysis concerning racial residential segregation of places using various measures of segregation. The analysis will focus on five racial/ethic groups: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians and Pacific Islanders (with a special section looking at Asians, and Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders separately), Blacks, and Hispanics. Using 2000 Census (Summary File 1) 100 percent data, this paper will calculate the levels of racial residential segregation for places by using five measures of segregation representing five dimensions of segregation. Looking at the five measures of segregation will provide a more comprehensive analysis than previous studies which focused on only one measure of segregation, and a better look at the levels of racial residential segregation which exists in places.