Does Springfield Ohio’s Hispanic residential

patterns follow the current trends of metropolitan

cities or micropolitan areas?

Emily Beavers

Wittenberg University

December 2007

Black Residential Segregation…

• Blacks are generally more segregated

then Whites, Hispanics and Asians

•Black families earning $50,000 a year

are just as segregated as those who

make $2,500 (Denton and Massy 1988)

•Blacks experience slightly less

segregation in Suburbs

•Black segregation has decreased

over time (Timeberlake 2002)

Black Residential Segregation...

Definitions…

•Hispanic is defined as “a person of

Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or

Central American, or some other Hispanic

origin.”

• Metropolitan city, has a minimum

population of 50,000 or an urbanized area and

a total population of at least 100,000 residents

•Old Metropolitan city, has a minimum

population of 50,000 which was reached in

19th century early 20th century.

•Micropolitan areas are classified areas with urban

clusters with a core with a population from 10,000

to 50,000 people (Wahl et al 2007)

Definitions…

Definitions ...

• Residential segregation is “the degrees to

which two or more groups live separately

from one another, in different parts of the

urban environment” (Massey and Denton

1988).

•Residential disadvantage for the purpose of

this study is measured by median household

income and educational attainment.

Hispanic Residential Segregation…

• The population of Hispanics has increased

146% between 1980 and 2000 to a current

population of 35.3 million (Johnston et al)

•Hispanics living in metropolitan areas has

decreased from 59.5% in the 1980s to 51.4%

in 2000; however, segregation stayed around

50% (Logan et al 2004).

Hispanic Residential Segregation in

Metropolitan Areas…

• Hispanic residential segregation increase

when Hispanic income increases (Velez and

Martin, 2004).

• The age of city influanced Hispanic

segregation (Logan et al, 2004).

Hispanic Residential Segregation in

Micropolitan Areas…

•Decreases in segregation is caused by an increase

in Hispanic income (Wahl et al 2007)

•Income disadvantage between Hispanics and

Whites is only $10,000 as compared to $20,000 in

metropolitan cities (Wahl et al 2007)

The problem…

• Most studies on Hispanic Segregation are on

big cities. Most studies ignore the Midwest

•To understand Hispanic Segregation in the

Midwest I will look at the Hispanic

Segregation in Springfield, Ohio

•Does Springfield’s Hispanic residential

segregation follow trends of Metropolitan

cities or Micropolitan areas?

Methods…

•Used American Fact Finder to Identify census

tracts in Springfield with High Hispanic

Segregation: Census Tract 2, 6, 8 13, 24.01

•To measure Springfield's Hispanic disadvantage I

found the Hispanic median household income and

educational attainment for the tracts above

Methods…

•Averaged the median household income of all

the census tracts and educational attainment of

census tracts 2, 6, 8

•Compared them to National Hispanic median

household income and educational attainment

•Compared the averaged Springfield's Hispanic

median household income and educational

attainment to Springfield majority White tract

and Springfield majority Black tract

Results…

•Springfield, Ohio is an old metropolitan city

•Hispanics represent 1.2% of the population

Table 1: Hispanic Disadvantage in Springfield, Ohio’s

High Percentage Hispanic Tract

Median Household

Income

Average Tract

Educational Attainment

Hispanic Educational

Attainment

Tract

average

Hispanic

average

Less

Than

High

School

High

School

Less Than

BachelorsBachelors

Less

Than

High

School

High

School

Less Than

BachelorsBachelors

Census

Tract 2$20,089 $0 39% 30% 23% 5% 61% 0% 39% 0%

Census

Tract 6$36,905 $28,750 31% 42% 23% 5% 100% 0% 0% 0%

Census

Tract 8$29,155 $36,029 29% 39% 26% 4% 29% 55% 16% 0%

Census

Tract

13

$36,404 $21,250 21% 45% 22% 6% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Census

Tract

24.01

$41,506 $31,250 10% 43% 26% 14% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Table 2: Springfield, Ohio’s Hispanic Disadvantage

in comparison to National Levels

Income Average Educational Attainment

Median

Household

Income

Less Than

High SchoolHigh School

More than

High School

National

Hispanic

Averages

$30,000 43% 27.9% 25%

Average of all

Hispanic

Tracts

$23,455 63% 18% 18%

Table 3: Springfield, Ohio’s Hispanic Disadvantage

in comparison to Springfield’s White and Black Disadvantage

Income Average Educational Attainment

Median

Household

Income

Less Than

High

School

High

School

Less Than

BachelorsBachelors

Majority

White Tract

Census

Tract 20

$57,308 10% 33% 25% 16%

Majority

Black Tract

Census

Tract 9.02

$30,186 24% 39% 31% 5%

Average of

all Hispanic

Tracts

$23,455 63% 18% 18% 0%

Conclusion…

• Springfield does not follow all the Hispanic

segregation patterns of a metropolitan city.

•Springfield does not follow all the Hispanic

segregation patterns of a mircopolitan area.

Implications…

• Springfield’s Hispanics have low rates of

educational attainments, compared to others in

Springfield, and Hispanic national levels.

• Hispanics educational attainment increases, their

income increases

Implications…

• The best way Springfield can help Hispanics is

to enact policy to further their education.

•Specifically, they could include more English

as Second Language classes, and city school

sponsored GED classes taught in Spanish.

Limitations and Need for Further Study…

• Springfield had such a small Hispanic

population, my research was limited

• Census Data from 2000, which would not

include recent Hispanic population increases

•The 2010 Census will provide more

information about the increased Hispanic

population. At that time, a more through study

can conducted.