Mapping Diversity in St. Louis: Beyond Black and White

Introduction St. Louis is often cited as one of the most segregated cities in the U.S., a description that fits if only Black and White residents are considered. However, over 14% of the city’s population identified as neither Black or White in the 2020 U.S. Census, suggesting that descriptions of residential patterns should be expanded to include other groups. Methods Using data from the 2020 U.S. Census, I calculated E-scores (Iceland, 2004), a measure of diversity ranging from 0 (only one group present) to 1.609 (maximum diversity for five groups), at the census block group level, computed descriptive statistics, and graphed and mapped the results. I also calculated Theil’s Index (a measure of segregation) for the city as a whole and classified neighborhoods according to the presence or absence of five racial and ethnic groups (Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, and other/mixed), using methodology adopted from Zhang and Logan (2010, 2016) and mapped the results. Results Over 70% of neighborhoods include at least two racial or ethnic groups, and 11.8% include four. The mixed/other category was omitted for this categorization because it is present in nearly all block groups. The most common racial/ethnic combination within a block group was White, Black and Asian, followed by Black only, White and Asian, and all four groups (White, Black, Asian, Hispanic). Virtually no block groups are White only (1.9%), but 27.4% are Black only. All four groups are present in 11.8% of census block groups. E-scores are distributed bimodally, with one cluster of block groups with low diversity and another cluster with high diversity. Theil’s Index for St. Louis City = .2653 (similar to Chicago). Racial and ethnic diversity is highest in the Central Corridor and parts of South St. Louis, as measured by both E-scores and presence of multiple racial and ethnic groups, while diversity is much lower in North St. Louis, where most single-group (Black only) neighborhoods are located. Conclusions St. Louis remains a segregated city, and many Black residents remain isolated from other racial and ethnic groups. However, White, Hispanic and Asian people are likely to live in neighborhoods including other racial and ethnic groups, and many Black residents live in diverse neighborhoods as well. Descriptions of residential patterns in cities should include measures of diversity as well as segregation because both characteristics can be present at the same time.