On The Persistent Structure Of Metropolitan Income Inequality, 1900-1980

A unique data set for 1900 is used to construct estimates of mean incomes and Gini coefficients for normal families in principal cities of 33 states. Southern states showed much higher inequality levels than northern ones. Ceteris paribus, income levels were inversely related to inequality, while non-white population shares were positively related to inequality .Inequality rose for the very largest areas, but somewhat surprisingly fell with higher illiteracy rates. The Census PUS for 1980 was used to construct state samples based as closely as possible on the definitions of normal families and principal cities used in 1900. The general cross-sectional pattern of inequality in 1980 was remarkably similar to that of 1900, although there seems to have been a convergence of inequality levels and a declining significance of race and region.