The Significance of Race and Class in Residential Segregation

Some observers believe that the significance of race as a factor in residential segregation has declined since passage of the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, which declared racial discrimination in housing illegal. Thus, the present segregation is seen as more the result of class differences than racial differences. This belief, however, can be empirically tested. The objective of this paper is to determine whether residential segregation between blacks 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 Kansas City, Missouri SMS A 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 at the same level of occupation, income and education. The results suggest that race remains the most significant factor in residential segregation.