Neighborhood Change in Chicago and Its Suburbs 1990-2019

Abstract

This research empirically examines neighborhood change, as measured by change in per capita income, for 335 Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs for the period 1990 to 2019. Its purpose is to examine the factors associated with neighborhood change in a metropolitan region anchored by a shrinking central city. Using Geographically Weighted Regression, this research analyzes the spatially varying impacts of explanatory variables commonly found in the urban resurgence literature such as race, ethnicity, education, and nativity. The results show that the areas experiencing the highest change in per capita income were the northern neighborhoods of Chicago as well certain suburbs on the suburban fringe, Conversely, decline in per capita income occurred in the inner-ring suburbs, particularly those to the south and west of Chicago. The results further show that some minority neighborhoods in Chicago experienced income ascent relative to the rest of the metropolitan area, which challenges the findings of some previous studies and provides insights for community and suburban planners.