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Are Ghettos Good or Bad? Evidence from U.S. Internal Migration

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  • Zhang, Junfu

    (Clark University)

  • Zheng, Liang

    (Central University of Finance and Economics)

Abstract

It is difficult to determine whether ghettos are good or bad, partly because racial segregation may have some effects that are unobservable. To overcome this challenge, we present a migration choice model that allows for estimating the overall effects of racial segregation. The key idea underlying our empirical approach is that if segregation indeed has a negative overall effect, migrants should be willing to give up some earnings to avoid living in segregated cities. Using decennial census data from 1980 to 2000, we provide new evidence that ghettos are bad. It is shown that both black and white migrants prefer to live in less segregated cities. For example, for a one-percentage-point reduction in the dissimilarity index, the estimated marginal willingness to pay of blacks is $436 (in 1999 dollars) in 2000. Among whites, this marginal willingness to pay is $301.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Junfu & Zheng, Liang, 2014. "Are Ghettos Good or Bad? Evidence from U.S. Internal Migration," IZA Discussion Papers 8093, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8093
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    internal migration; residential segregation; discrete choice model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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