Racial Segregation, Minority Population Change, and Minority Homeownership, 1980–2010

Ryan Finnigan, University of California, Davis

Residential segregation is often highlighted as a crucial structural barrier to minority homeownership. White-Black segregation has declined steadily for decades, while White-Latino segregation has increased unevenly. This paper examines how these long-term changes in segregation relate to Black and Latino homeownership, and how the size and growth of the local co-ethnic population may moderate this relationship. The paper analyzes the 2006--2011 American Community Surveys and the 1980--2000 decennial Censuses using a series of regression models which decompose variation into within- and between-metropolitan area components. Results indicate that both Black and Latino homeownership are higher with larger co-ethnic communities. Latino homeownership is lower with higher segregation. However, Black homeownership is significantly lower with declines in segregation over time, particularly in areas with small Black populations. The results highlight contrasting trends and relationships between groups, with implications for potentially more profound differences in the processes at work.