Ethnicity, Education and Income, and Residential Mobility Between Neighbourhoods

Using general linear regression analyses on Housing Research Netherlands (HRN) data, we assess the impact of ethnicity, education and income on the change in socio-economic status and ethnic composition of the neighbourhood of residence for ethnic minorities who have relocated. Among those who moved, members of non-western minority ethnic groups show a smaller increase in both socio-economic status and share of the native majority in the neighbourhood of residence than the members of the ethnic majority. This finding holds after controlling for education and income. Of all groups, members of the stigmatised ethnic minorities showed the weakest relationship between education and income on the one hand, and the change in characteristics of the neighbourhood of residence on the other. Although this suggests place stratification or ethnic community preference, the total effects of income and education are positive for all ethnic groups, implying spatial assimilation.