Objective neighborhood properties and perceptions of neighborhood problems: Using a geographic information system (GIS) in neighborhood effects and aging research

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the antecedents of perceptions of neighborhood problems (PNP). The primary goal of this analysis is to explicate the relationship between objective neighborhood properties and PNP. A secondary goal is to examineperson-centered contextual aggregations based on one’s spatial proximity to nearby residential characteristics through the use of a geographic information system. The data used in this analysis consist of a diverse sample of 1,115 adults 65+ in Washington D.C., Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland. The study’s primary contextual indicator, the level of poverty in neighborhoods, acts as the most significant factor shaping PNP. The effects on PNP of neighborhoods with a higher concentration of poverty do not impact residents equally; rather, positive achievement, mainly education and income, appear to buffer PNP. Additionally, these findings suggest that the contextual aggregation of neighborhood properties matters relative to the magnitude, significance, and direction of neighborhood effects.