Contemporary Segregation

Ann Owens writes,

Segregation of upper-middle-class and affluent families from all others increased the most. In 2010, families with incomes in the top 10 percent of the national income distribution lived in the most homogenous districts, with other affluent families like them. In contrast, we found that poor families have become slightly more integrated by income between school districts. However, given that high-income families have distanced themselves from others, poor families are likely integrating with working-poor or lower-middle-class families rather than the affluent.

Pointer from Mark Thoma.

As I have said, the affluent folks advocating for more Syrian refugees are unlikely to end up living next to them.

Incidentally, Charles Murray gives a generous review (gated) to Robert Putnam, which is particularly gentlemanly in comparison to Putnam’s treatment of Murray.

3 thoughts on “Contemporary Segregation

  1. Here is another thing: Why is a refugee crisis being rhetorically aggregated with an immigration issue?

  2. Revealed preferences? Segregation may be money well spent. I might not have believed that before living in an area being pilfered by petty criminals. Now I do. It is still hard to accept that the only robust solution is to move but I’ve seen the utter inability or disinterest of law enforcement to help and I’m spending a small fortune on security measures.

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