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Title: Inequality in Cities

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2009

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Abstract: Much of the inequality literature has focused on national inequality, butlocal inequality is also important. Crime rates are higher in more unequal cities; peoplein unequal cities are more likely to say that they are unhappy. There is a negativeassociation between local inequality and the growth of city-level income and population,once we control for the initial distribution of skills. High levels of mobility across citiesmean that city-level inequality should not be studied with the same analytical toolsused to understand national inequality, and policy approaches need to reflect the urbancontext. Urban inequality reflects the choices of more and less skilled people to livetogether in particular areas. City-level skill inequality can explain about one-third ofthe variation in city-level income inequality, while skill inequality is itself explained byhistorical schooling patterns and immigration. Local income also reflects the substantialdifferences in the returns to skill across, which are related to local industrial patterns.

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Authors: Glaeser, Edward L.; Tobio, Kristina; Resseger, Matt

Periodical (Full): Journal of Regional Science

Issue: 4

Volume: 49

Pages: 617-646

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Other, Poverty and Welfare

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