Black/White Segregation in Small Cities


Benton Harbor, MI


Bridgeport, CT

Pensacola, FL

Lawrence, KS

Boise City, ID

High to moderate degrees of black/ white segregation are found in small cities, such as Benton Harbor, Bridgeport, Pensacola, and Lawrence, just as they are in large cities. Segregation levels usually do not reach negligible levels except in cities where the % black population is very small, as in Boise City.

Massey and Denton argue that low levels of segregation in towns with very small black populations is the product of open (nondiscriminatory) housing markets, which are tolerated in such towns because the probability of a white person having contact with a black person is extremely low in any event (American Apartheid, 111-112). Segregation, of course, is not the only indicator of the presence of racial discrimination. Idaho has little racial segregation, but it is the only state outside of the South that is subject to preclearance requirements under the Voting Rights Act. That is, because of its history of racial discrimination in voting, it must submit all proposed changes in its election practices to the Federal Government for prior approval before adopting them.

City 2000 Index of dissimilarity % black population, metro area
Benton Harbor, MI 73.7 16.5
Bridgeport, CT 73.6 11.7
Pensacola, FL 52.3 16.8
Lawrence, KS 42.0 5.0
Boise City, ID 23.2 0.7