Household Location and Economic Development in the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area

Abstract

The patterns of where households live within the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area are examined over the 1990 to 2010 period with respect to their socioeconomic characteristics. It is seen that city–suburban differences in educational attainment have been eliminated over time. This is particularly the case for non-Hispanic Whites living in Chicago who have become substantially more likely to have a college degree relative to their suburban counterparts. In contrast, educational attainment has a rising propensity of African Americans and Hispanics to suburbanize, especially those households containing children of school age.