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

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

Abstract

This paper uses tax records linked to administrative Census data and high-resolution measures of air pollution exposure (PM2.5) to study the evolution of the Black-White pollution exposure gap since 1984. We decompose changes in the racial exposure gap into (i) rank-preserving compression of the pollution distribution and (ii) changes stemming from a reordering of Black and White households within the pollution distribution. We find a narrowing of the racial exposure gap that is overwhelmingly driven by rank-preserving changes rather than positional changes. Recently, however, the relative positions of Black and White households in the upper tail of the pollution distribution have converged.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Colmer & Suvy Qin & John Voorheis & Reed Walker, 2024. "The Changing Nature of Pollution, Income, and Environmental Inequality in the United States," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 114, pages 41-46, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:114:y:2024:p:41-46
    DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241010
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    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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    Cited by:

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    2. Ivan Rudik & Derek Lemoine & Antonia Marcheva, 2025. "Equity and Efficiency in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Adaptation Investments," Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 6(1), pages 65-100.
    3. Sarah Meier & Eric Strobl & Robert J. R. Elliott, 2025. "The impact of wildfire smoke exposure on excess mortality and later-life socioeconomic outcomes: the Great Fire of 1910," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 19(2), pages 279-342, May.
    4. Björn Bos & Moritz A. Drupp & Lutz Sager, 2025. "The Distributional Effects of Low Emission Zones: Who Benefits from Cleaner Air?," CESifo Working Paper Series 11739, CESifo.
    5. C. Grislain-Letremy & J. Sixou & A. Sotura, 2024. "Urban Heat Islands and Inequalities: Evidence from French Cities," Documents de Travail de l'Insee - INSEE Working Papers 2024-21, Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques.
    6. Lester Lusher & Tim Ruberg, 2024. "Unveiling the Unseen Illness: Public Health Warnings and Heat Stroke," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2024-020, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    7. Grislain-Letrémy, Céline & Sixou, Julie & Sotura, Aurélie, 2025. "Urban heat islands and income inequalities: Evidence from French cities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 235(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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