The Neighborhood Attainment of Mixed-Race Couples across the Black/White Spectrum

Abstract

With the removal of legal barriers to mixed-race marriage, there has been a consistent increase in the number of Black-White couples. This has coincided with growth in the number of Black-White individuals who have formed couples with a Black or White partner. Little is known, however, about how these couples function within a key area of stratification—neighborhood attainment. We use data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and the U.S. Census to investigate the percentage of Whites and the average income in the neighborhoods of home-purchasing couples defined by their levels of Black and White representation. These couples being White couples, Black-White individuals with White partners, Black-White couples, Black-White individuals with Black partners, and Black couples. Findings reveal that the percentage of Whites and average income in the neighborhoods of couples decrease as couples increase in Black representation. These results have implications for our understanding of the contemporary color line.