A Comparison of the U.S. Census Summary Tape Files 1A and 3A in Measuring Residential Segregation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Li, Chun-Hao^a | Bagaka's, Joshua G.^b | Darden, Joe T.^c

Affiliations: [a] Sociology-Urban Studies, Urban Affairs Programs, Michigan State University, USA | [b] Urban Affairs Programs, Michigan State University, USA | [c] Urban Affairs Programs, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1109, USA

Abstract: This paper examines the difference in results obtained from using Summary Tape Files 1A (STF1A) and 3A (STF3A) in measuring residential segregation. The 1A file contains data for the whole population, while the 3A file is based on estimates derived from a sample of the 1990 census. Computation of segregation indexes for the 45 largest metropolitan areas (MSA/PMSA) in the United States, using both files, revealed large differences. The differences were found to be correlated negatively with the percentage of the minority group population in the metropolitan area.

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-1995-21203

Journal: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 145-155, 1995