Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY MSA
Data for the Suburban Area
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Neighborhood Inequality
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Measuring Neighborhood Inequality
We measure neighborhood inequality with a series of exposure indices (P*). Exposure
indices refer to the neighborhood characteristics experienced by the average
household of a given group. For example, if the value for median household income for blacks is $30,000,
this indicates that the average black household lives in a neighborhood where the median household income is $30,000.
Similarly, if the value for percent homeowner for whites is 75%, this indicates that the average white household lives
in a neighborhood where 75% of the residents own homes. |
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Are There Racial Differences in Neighborhood Characteristics? |
The following table shows a series of exposure indices for each group calculated for key
social and economic indicators representing various neighborhood characteristics.
In this table, data are provided for
households, and households have been classified by the race/ethnicity of the
household head.
| Characteristics Indicator
|
Non-Hispanic White |
Non-Hispanic Black |
Hispanic |
Asian |
| |
1990 |
2000 |
1990 |
2000 |
1990 |
2000 |
1990 |
2000 |
| INDICATORS OF INCOME |
| Median HH Income |
44,526
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47,277
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38,082
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40,623
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40,495
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42,940
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54,456
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52,926
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| Per Capita Income |
19,290
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22,329
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17,536
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20,492
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18,000
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20,870
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23,889
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25,763
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| % Below Poverty |
5.8 |
6.1 |
15.3 |
12.9 |
10.4 |
9.6 |
6.0 |
7.5 |
| INDICATORS OF HUMAN CAPITAL |
| % College Educated |
20.4 |
25.3 |
20.1 |
26.0 |
18.9 |
23.6 |
33.7 |
38.2 |
| % Professional |
31.7 |
35.0 |
30.4 |
34.1 |
29.8 |
32.7 |
41.9 |
44.6 |
| % Unemployed |
5.0 |
4.4 |
7.2 |
5.8 |
6.3 |
5.2 |
4.3 |
4.1 |
| INDICATORS OF HOUSING |
| % Vacant Housing |
3.9 |
4.7 |
6.0 |
6.5 |
4.7 |
5.8 |
4.3 |
4.0 |
| % Homeowners |
75.2 |
75.8 |
62.7 |
63.5 |
68.2 |
69.3 |
73.7 |
71.3 |
| INDICATORS OF IMMIGRATION |
| % Foreign Born |
4.1 |
4.3 |
6.1 |
6.8 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
7.3 |
8.5 |
| % Recent Immigrants |
0.7 |
1.2 |
1.9 |
2.8 |
1.1 |
1.7 |
2.3 |
3.7 |
| % Language other than English |
7.1 |
7.0 |
11.5 |
12.0 |
9.5 |
9.1 |
8.8 |
10.4 |
| INDICATORS OF ISOLATION AND INTEGRATION |
| % Members of Own Group |
96.9 |
94.8 |
11.0 |
11.8 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
3.4 |
4.9 |
| % Non-Hispanic White |
96.9 |
94.8 |
83.1 |
80.2 |
91.1 |
89.4 |
92.6 |
88.8 |
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Ratio of Minority to White Values |
This table shows the ratio of each minority group value to that of whites for every
indicator shown in the first table. These ratios represent disparities between minority and white groups. For
example, if the ratio of black to white median household income is .65, this indicates that the
average black household lives in a neighborhood where the median household income is only 65% of that in the
average white household's neighborhood.
| Characteristics Indicator
|
Black |
Hispanic |
Asian |
| INDICATORS OF INCOME |
| |
1990 |
2000 |
1990 |
2000 |
1990 |
2000 |
| Median HH Income |
0.86 |
0.86 |
0.91 |
0.91 |
1.22 |
1.12 |
| Per Capita Income |
0.91 |
0.92 |
0.93 |
0.93 |
1.24 |
1.15 |
| % Below Poverty |
2.64 |
2.12 |
1.79 |
1.57 |
1.03 |
1.24 |
| INDICATORS OF HUMAN CAPITAL |
| % College Educated |
0.98 |
1.03 |
0.93 |
0.93 |
1.65 |
1.51 |
| % Professional |
0.96 |
0.98 |
0.94 |
0.93 |
1.32 |
1.28 |
| % Unemployed |
1.44 |
1.33 |
1.26 |
1.19 |
0.85 |
0.95 |
| INDICATORS OF HOUSING |
| % Vacant Housing |
1.56 |
1.38 |
1.23 |
1.24 |
1.11 |
0.86 |
| % Homeowners |
0.83 |
0.84 |
0.91 |
0.91 |
0.98 |
0.94 |
| INDICATORS OF IMMIGRATION |
| % Foreign Born |
1.48 |
1.57 |
1.18 |
1.16 |
1.77 |
1.97 |
| % Recent Immigrants |
2.71 |
2.26 |
1.48 |
1.34 |
3.28 |
2.98 |
| % Language other than English |
0.27 |
1.73 |
0.15 |
1.31 |
0.33 |
1.50 |
| INDICATORS OF ISOLATION AND INTEGRATION |
| % Members of Own Group |
0.11 |
0.12 |
0.02 |
0.02 |
0.03 |
0.05 |
| % White |
0.86 |
0.85 |
0.94 |
0.94 |
0.96 |
0.94 |
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Sources of Neighborhood Inequality |
Neighborhood inequalities may result from discrimination based on race,
class, or nativity. To understand if racial group disparities in
neighborhood characteristics are due to class or nativity, we examine
neighborhood characteristics of groups who share an income class or a birth
status. Click on the buttons below to link to a series of pages for this
metro area exploring the effects of race, income class, and nativity on
neighborhood inequality. The first button links to a page that provides the
income class distribution for each group in 1990 and 2000
(where data are provided for households).
From there, you may link to another page that shows the effect of income
class on group disparities in neighborhood characteristics.
The second button links to a page that provides the
nativity distribution for each group in 1990 and 2000
(for nativity, all data are provided for
persons, rather than households). From there, you may link to another page
that shows the effect of nativity on group disparities in neighborhood
characteristics.
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