Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability

In this study, we investigate the residential stability and mobility patterns of Black single mothers compared to White single mothers. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1970 to 2015, linked to the U.S. Census for contextual characteristics, our multilevel linear probability mo...

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Main Authors: Ryan Gabriel, Peter Polhill, Adrienne Waite
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/149
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author Ryan Gabriel
Peter Polhill
Adrienne Waite
author_facet Ryan Gabriel
Peter Polhill
Adrienne Waite
author_sort Ryan Gabriel
collection DOAJ
description In this study, we investigate the residential stability and mobility patterns of Black single mothers compared to White single mothers. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1970 to 2015, linked to the U.S. Census for contextual characteristics, our multilevel linear probability models reveal substantial racial disparities. Black single mothers have a lower probability of remaining in non-poor neighborhoods rather than migrating to poor neighborhoods relative to White single mothers. Conversely, Black single mothers possess a higher probability of remaining in poor neighborhoods instead of moving to non-poor ones in relation to White single mothers. When economic resources are allowed to vary between Black and White single mothers, even higher-income Black single mothers cannot convert these resources into remaining in or migrating to non-poor neighborhoods at the same rate as White single mothers.
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spelling doaj-art-1f5895dec6014f17800a6e1d300364042025-08-20T02:10:24ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-02-0114314910.3390/socsci14030149Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential StabilityRyan Gabriel0Peter Polhill1Adrienne Waite2Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USAILR School, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USADepartment of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USAIn this study, we investigate the residential stability and mobility patterns of Black single mothers compared to White single mothers. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1970 to 2015, linked to the U.S. Census for contextual characteristics, our multilevel linear probability models reveal substantial racial disparities. Black single mothers have a lower probability of remaining in non-poor neighborhoods rather than migrating to poor neighborhoods relative to White single mothers. Conversely, Black single mothers possess a higher probability of remaining in poor neighborhoods instead of moving to non-poor ones in relation to White single mothers. When economic resources are allowed to vary between Black and White single mothers, even higher-income Black single mothers cannot convert these resources into remaining in or migrating to non-poor neighborhoods at the same rate as White single mothers.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/149Black single motherspovertyneighborhoodsmobility
spellingShingle Ryan Gabriel
Peter Polhill
Adrienne Waite
Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability
Social Sciences
Black single mothers
poverty
neighborhoods
mobility
title Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability
title_full Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability
title_fullStr Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability
title_full_unstemmed Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability
title_short Staying or Moving: Racial Differences in Single Mothers’ Residential Stability
title_sort staying or moving racial differences in single mothers residential stability
topic Black single mothers
poverty
neighborhoods
mobility
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/149
work_keys_str_mv AT ryangabriel stayingormovingracialdifferencesinsinglemothersresidentialstability
AT peterpolhill stayingormovingracialdifferencesinsinglemothersresidentialstability
AT adriennewaite stayingormovingracialdifferencesinsinglemothersresidentialstability