The subjective dimension of residential segregation: Comparing neighborhood perceptions in vulnerable neighborhoods and the wider population

This study examines the subjective dimension of residential segregation by investigating whether residents of vulnerable neighborhoods perceive their neighborhoods differently from the wider population, how such perceptions vary across neighborhoods and national contexts, and which domains exhibit the strongest differences. Drawing on original comparative surveys from six vulnerable neighborhoods in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden alongside national population samples, the study provides novel descriptive evidence on patterns of subjective residential segregation. Cluster analysis reveals that vulnerable neighborhoods across countries resemble one another more closely in their neighborhood perceptions than they resemble their respective national populations, suggesting substantial subjective residential segregation. The findings further show that subjective residential segregation is most pronounced in two domains central to equal opportunity: perceived social disorder within neighborhoods and perceptions of unfair treatment by government institutions and peers.