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Since 1940, “white flight” has affected the city’s demographics, not to mention its real estate market; every year, the population of white, non-Hispanic residents in the inner city decreased. That is, until the turn of this century. The NY Times reports that since 2000, 100,000 non-Hispanic whites have returned to the city, and half of that increase occurred between 2006 and 2007. Experts call the shift a “harbinger of racial equilibrium” and a testament to “diversity and ethnic heterogeneity.” For some, of course, such shifts signal an undertone of gentrification; it’s not always good news. And some of those folks returning from the ‘burbs work in the financial industry, lured by family-friendly, high-end projects that are sometimes seen as gated communities within the city; no one’s sure if they’ll stay as the economy sours. Still, the census findings reveal a strong city &#8212 stronger, in fact than some of the suburbs. The percentage of folks paying more than 30% of income on rent/mortgage dropped in NYC; it rose in the suburbs.
White Flight Has Reversed, Census Finds [NY Times]
Photo by thunderhoof


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. Thank you for the New York City perspective on this national trend in urban demographics. You quote two comments from the New York Times article “White flight has reverse, census finds”, stating that “experts call the shift a Harbinger of racial equilibrium” and a testament to diversity and ethnic heterogeneity”. I was greatly surprised that you would agree with this statement especially in light of your particular metropolitan area, since it is already ethnically diverse, with the 2007 American Community Survey showing that whites already account for a significant part of the demographics within New York City’s metro area. I am interested to know if you feel, living in the area, as though there is something different about these “new” city residents that sets them apart in diversity than those already there. It seemed from your blog that these new comers may in fact inhabit communities or developments that are less diverse and integrated “seen as gated communities within the city.” It seems in hindsight that whites, or more specifically the middle and upper economic groups, left the city in the 1940’s primarily because the suburbs provided the room that baby boom parents needed, a sound financial investment and a cleaner, safer existence than was available in the cities at the time. Now that many of the factors that made cities dirty (e.g. manufacturing) have ended or moved out of central cities, city life may seem more enticing, offering lucrative new economic and personal incentives to young professionals today with smaller families. Perks such as an active community, shorter commutes and many cultural and art opportunities that are afforded by their social economic class also increase the appeal of urban life for professionals. Census data reveals a distinct trend of strengthening cities not only New York but also Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, etc. However, as you elude to, this trend may be more closely linked to evidence of economics, than to any real trend in racial diversity.

  2. Really momo284, you need to stop seeing whites as monolithic and realize that a southern italian, a norwegian, a scot and an appalachian-born-and-bred are all very different characters. Perhaps you should speak to one of them.

  3. Evidence of white flight fromt the suburbs. Please look at the demographic information for Metro Atlanta

    Can whites be gentrified? Please look at Hoboken. Where the long time Italian and Italian-American residents could not believe the waves of yuppies on Washington Street. The old stores,gone. In their place, lots of bars.