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Effect of neighborhood racial and socioeconomic composition on urban residents' evaluations of their neighborhoods

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Abstract

Using merged survey and census data from Los Angeles and Detroit, this study investigates the effect of neighborhood racial and socioeconomic composition on urban residents' evaluations of their neighborhoods. The findings show that all types of residents-both black and white, low income and high income-evaluate lower income and higher minority areas more negatively. Aversion to low income and high minority areas does not appear to result from class and racial prejudice, but rather from undesirable neighborhood characteristics.

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The authors wish to thank Robert Marans and Willard Rodgers for generously allowing the use of data from their Detroit Quality of Life Study.

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Stipak, B., Hensler, C. Effect of neighborhood racial and socioeconomic composition on urban residents' evaluations of their neighborhoods. Soc Indic Res 12, 311–320 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319807

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319807

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