Population Studies and Training Center

Bias in Estimating Income Segregation in the U.S.

New work by PSTC faculty associates Logan and Foster highlights systematic bias in estimating income segregation in the U.S.

A new paper, Income Segregation: Up or Down, and for Whom?  by PSTC faculty associates John Logan, Andrew Foster, and colleagues, forthcoming in Demography, describes two substantial sources of systematic bias in estimating income segregation levels in the U.S.: bias associated with sample size and bias associated with using weighted sample data. It also provides two correction methods using the original census sample data for individual households to provide more accurate estimates. They demonstrate with the analyses of segregation.  

Read more reports on diversity and disparities, and see maps of income segregation by metropolitan area, here