Neighborhood Problems across the Rural-Urban Continuum: Geographic Trends and Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Neighborhood problems such as abandoned buildings, broken windows, and crime are often seen as urban problems. However, the recent housing crisis, shifting demographics, and deepening inequality may have increased neighborhood problems outside of cities. This article describes trends in neighborhood quality across the rural-urban continuum and considers how these trends differ by race/ethnicity. We use data from the 1985 to 2013 American Housing Survey to examine neighborhood problems surrounding a sample of 125,049 housing units in central cities, suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas. We find that rates of neighborhood problems are consistently highest in cities, but they have been steadily increasing in nonmetropolitan areas. We also find that disparities in exposure to neighborhood problems among racial and ethnic groups are not limited to cities: blacks and Latinos living outside of metropolitan areas are increasingly and disproportionately exposed to neighborhood problems. Further research should examine both the causes and consequences of neighborhood problems across the rural-urban continuum.