Social Cohesion: Geographic Isolation
Population Change by Race
White Population Change, 1990-2000
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Many of those who can afford it leave areas of concentrated poverty, voting with their feet in search of a higher quality of life. In addition, neighborhoods that are close to high poverty areas or that have older housing may also find themselves losing residents, especially whites.
Those who are able to move away from areas of concentrated poverty may experience an increase in social cohesion as they join and are joined by others of similar incomes and race. However, at the macro scale, as people move to newer housing on the outer edges of urbanization there is a loss of connection to the communities in the region's center.
Hispanic Population Change, 1990-2000
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To a large extent, minorities also change location to increase their potential for a high quality of life. Recent immigrants are typically able to afford only the lowest cost housing, which brings population increases to parts of central cities that have long been in decline.
But as these immigrants find jobs and enter the middle class, they too move outward in search of safer, more stable neighborhoods. Middle-class Hispanics, in particular, have moved into suburban areas throughout the region, though so far in relatively small numbers.
Black Population Change, 1990-2000
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Middle-class African-Americans also move to suburban locations in search of a better life. But, despite some progress integrating into traditionally white areas, their geographic mobility still remains disproportionately concentrated in the areas extending southeast and west from the core of the traditional black community.
In addition, areas where black residents increase significantly see white residents decrease by about the same amount, continuing the historic pattern of racial turnover. This suggests that while the Kansas City region creates social cohesion within its communities, it has significantly more trouble creating it across them.
Household Income
Deviation from Metro Median Household Income, 2000
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As those of all race and ethnicities who can afford it move generally outward, the end result is a region largely segregated by income as well as race. With poor areas concentrated in the middle and wealthy areas primarily around the edge, it is even more difficult establish cohesion across geographic areas, as issues of class join those of race.
Still, economic disparities appear to have lessened in the last decade, as real median incomes in the urban core have increased. (See urban core and first suburbs.)
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