Segregation Patterns in the District of Columbia 1980 to 2000

This discussion brief examines changes in racial and ethnic diversity and patterns of racial and ethnic segregation in the District of Columbia from 1980 to 2000. Using historical and recently released census data, we seek to answer the following questions: What do different measures of segregation tell us about recent population changes in the District of Columbia? What is the level of segregation in the city and how has it changed? Does segregation disproportionately affect particular racial groups or neighborhoods in the city and, if so, how? We find that over the last two decades, blacks in the District have been and remain highlysegregated. Hispanics are becoming more segregated and Asians less segregated. Neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River are becoming less diverse while the rest of the city becomes more diverse.