Socioeconomic Status and Racial Residential Segregation: Blacks and Hispanics in Chicago

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to determine whether residential segregation between blacks and whites and Hispanics and whites declines once socioeconomic status differences are controlled. Data for this paper were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census's 1980 Summary Tape File 4. The Chicago SMSA is the study area, The method employed to measure residential segregation is the index of dissimilarity. Indices of dissimilarity were computed by census tracts between blacks and whites and Hispanics and whites at the same level of occupation, income and education. The results suggest that race remains the most significant factor in residential segregation.