Trends in the Suburbanization of Racial/Ethnic Groups in US Metropolitan Areas, 1970 to 2000

This research examines recent trends in suburbanization for non-Latino Whites, Blacks, and Asians, and Latinos of all races. The authors find some association between group-level acculturation and socioeconomic status and 2000 suburbanization rates; however, these associations are largely attenuated by controls for suburban housing supply and do not explain much of the variation in changes in suburbanization rates from 1970 to 2000. Suburban housing supply is strongly associated with 2000 levels of suburbanization, yet these effects are largely attenuated by controlling for the suburban share of employment and affordable housing. Finally, the authors find large effects of change in suburban housing supply on change in group suburbanization rates; however, these effects are much weaker for Blacks relative to the other groups.