Montalvo Ayala, Paola

English

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

GSURC Project Proposal: Metropolitan Atlanta and the Concentration of Poverty Paola Montalvo Ayala Department of Economics Spring 2017  Abstract: More poor individuals today live in suburbs than in cities, a significant shift from 2000, when the urban poor outnumbered suburban residents living in poverty. This shift of poverty from urban areas into surrounding suburbs has happened unevenly, resulting in concentrated pockets of people living in “poverty areas.” Individuals living in distressed, high-poverty neighborhoods face worse health outcomes, higher crime rates, failing schools, and fewer job opportunities. These disadvantages are compounded over time and across generations and greatly diminish the likelihood of upward mobility for poor individuals. The purpose of this study is to analyze poverty trends in the 20-county Metropolitan Atlanta area.  Method of Study: The study defines poverty according to the US Official Poverty Measure. Using data from the American Community Survey, we will visualize changes in the general poverty rate from 2000 to 2014. In addition, we will utilize census bureau data from the Geolytics Neighborhood Change Database in order to track concentrations of poverty throughout Metro-Atlanta. We will also track poverty concentrations based on race in order to examine disparities between White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino populations. These concentrations will be visualized in ArcGIS mapping software. We will then investigate the location and demographic make-up of poverty areas to determine any patterns.  keywords: poverty, metropolitan Atlanta, suburbanization    

Metropolitan Atlanta and Poverty Concentrations

Georgia State University

GSURC Project Proposal: Metropolitan Atlanta and the Concentration of Poverty 
Paola Montalvo Ayala 
Department of Economics 
Spring 2017 
 
Abstract: More poor individuals today live in suburbs than in cities, a significant shift from 
2000, when the urban poor outnumbered suburban residents living in poverty. This shift of 
poverty from urban areas into surrounding suburbs has happened unevenly, resulting in 
concentrated pockets of people living in “poverty areas.” Individuals living in distressed, high-
poverty neighborhoods face worse health outcomes, higher crime rates, failing schools, and 
fewer job opportunities. These disadvantages are compounded over time and across generations 
and greatly diminish the likelihood of upward mobility for poor individuals. The purpose of this 
study is to analyze poverty trends in the 20-county Metropolitan Atlanta area.  
Method of Study: The study defines poverty according to the US Official Poverty Measure. 
Using data from the American Community Survey, we will visualize changes in the general 
poverty rate from 2000 to 2014. In addition, we will utilize census bureau data from the 
Geolytics Neighborhood Change Database in order to track concentrations of poverty throughout 
Metro-Atlanta. We will also track poverty concentrations based on race in order to examine 
disparities between White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino populations. These concentrations 
will be visualized in ArcGIS mapping software. We will then investigate the location and 
demographic make-up of poverty areas to determine any patterns.  
keywords: poverty, metropolitan Atlanta, suburbanization 
 
 
 


https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1640&amp;context=gsurc

Metropolitan Atlanta and Poverty Concentrations

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University

Georgia State University