Places on the Margin: Economic Insecurity in U.S. Counties from 1997-2016

• In Event: 1451 - Community and Urban Sociology Section Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 6. Insecurities

Abstract

Popular attention has recently turned to the precarious financial situation faced by many Americans, prompted by such concerns as the Great Recession, ballooning student loan debt, and growing political populism. While this attention is often oriented toward the national picture, there is a widespread sense that financial well-being is more tenuous in some areas of the United States than in others. Social scientists have made important inroads into understanding this contemporary economic trend through their work on economic insecurity; however, few studies systematically explore its geographic variation. This gap in knowledge is surprising given relative consensus that social structures vary across places, and that this variation is consequential for life chances. This project is among the first to address geographic variation in economic insecurity. Drawing on prior research, I develop an innovative metric of economic insecurity across counties in the contiguous U.S., from 1997-2016. Using data from the Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) program, I identify 28,244 county-years (49 percent of the total) as economically insecure, ranging from marginally insecure, to moderately insecure, to extremely insecure. Within years, however, the ratio of economically insecure to secure counties shows less parity, with economic insecurity—and especially moderate and extreme insecurity—predominating during recession years. Across county types, metro, rural adjacent, and rural non-adjacent counties are neither under- nor over-represented.
Turning to economic insecurity spells, all counties experienced at least one economic insecurity spell, while 59 counties experienced the maximum of 8 spells. While most spells lasted one year, nearly one-third of spells lasted for five or more years—or one-fourth of the study years. By integrating traditional urban theory with the economic insecurity literature, I contribute to longstanding debates about the role of place in shaping Americans’ life chances, particularly in light of recent, widespread structural changes.

Author

• Lora A. Phillips, Arizona State University