Spatial Segregation of the Poor in Southern California: A Multidimensional Analysis

Poverty segregation increased in Southern California during the 1990s. A comparison of four indices reflecting various dimensions of segregation (e.g., evenness, concentration, isolation, and clustering) suggests that poor people are increasingly concentrated and isolated. However, cities within the region experienced different levels and types of segregation, with significant changes over time. Regression analysis using 1990 and 2000 census data highlights the role of demographic, economic, and fiscal variables in explaining the changing landscape of poverty. Whereas historically poor and older cities have seen a rise in poverty that translated into an increase in concentration and isolation, newer suburban communities have evolved differently. Cities where poverty has been high and increasing often maintained a high level of clustering and unevenness, but experienced higher levels of concentration and clustering in 2000. In contrast, wealthier cities typically faced a rise in unevenness and clustering as small pockets of poverty population emerged in the midst of high-income neighborhoods.