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The Changing Nature of Pollution, Income, and Environmental Inequality in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Jonathan Colmer
  • Suvy Qin
  • John Voorheis
  • Reed Walker

Abstract

This paper uses administrative tax records linked to Census demographic data and high-resolution measures of fine small particulate (PM2.5) exposure to study the evolution of the Black-White pollution exposure gap over the past 40 years. In doing so, we focus on the various ways in which income may have contributed to these changes using a statistical decomposition. We decompose the overall change in the Black-White PM2.5 exposure gap into (1) components that stem from rank-preserving compression in the overall pollution distribution and (2) changes that stem from a reordering of Black and White households within the pollution distribution. We find a significant narrowing of the Black-White PM2.5 exposure gap over this time period that is overwhelmingly driven by rank-preserving changes rather than positional changes. However, the relative positions of Black and White households at the upper end of the pollution distribution have meaningfully shifted in the most recent years.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Colmer & Suvy Qin & John Voorheis & Reed Walker, 2024. "The Changing Nature of Pollution, Income, and Environmental Inequality in the United States," Working Papers 24-04, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:24-04
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/library/working-papers/2024/adrm/ces/CES-WP-24-04.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2024
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Janet Currie & John Voorheis & Reed Walker, 2023. "What Caused Racial Disparities in Particulate Exposure to Fall? New Evidence from the Clean Air Act and Satellite-Based Measures of Air Quality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(1), pages 71-97, January.
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